Right now Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is seriously considering whether to run for US President, & if he does, whether to run as an Independent, which he has been up until now, or as a Democrat, where he’d likely get much more publicity & have his issues, which are the issues of the American people, discussed. The odds seem to be against him in the Democratic Party, being that there is one formidable candidate, already nearly coronated in many people’s minds, Hillary Clinton, of course; & not being a true, long-time Democrat will hurt his credibility in many Democrats’ minds as a potential nominee. He could also initially run as a Democrat, & if he fails then run as an Independent or 3rd Party candidate, but as such he would likely be discounted by the media, resented by Democrats for cutting & running & reducing the probability of their nominee winning, & also tainted from Republicans’ perspectives by having identified himself as a Democrat, even if only for a short time, & he’d have trouble finding money. There are drawbacks from any of these choices.
But there’s another possibility: run in the Republican primaries. Before you laugh me off, consider what Sanders running against other Republicans would do. First, Bernie has already shown no reticence from taking his issues into enemy territory (such as the South), so to speak, & try to explain his positions to people not used to hearing it, or arguing them in front of a bunch of recalcitrant Republicans in Congress; so this wouldn’t be totally new territory for him; but television would disseminate those views far & wide. It would give Republican rank & file exposure to issues & opinions they’ve never been exposed to before or heard the other side of the argument – a rare opportunity to spread information to a population constantly being indoctrinated against their own interests – & thus Sanders would be widely championed by progressives for getting this information out where it most needs to be heard. His straightforward, no nonsense, considered opinion would provide such a refreshing contrast to the silliness you hear from most Republicans. He would really school them during the debates, showing himself to be a man of reason where there is little to be found, touching on the issues that concern the majority of people, even Republicans. The media would be all over such a candidacy. He would have a chance to face early the tough barbs that Republicans would likely throw at him, so that later in his campaign he’d have honed his argument & become well-prepared for the worst down the stretch.
I think he could do quite well. He relates really well with seniors & veterans, which comprise a large portion of Republicans, & he espouses the issues that connect with young people – heavy on making a better future. The libertarian Ron Paul did quite well in the Republican primaries last election, had quite a devoted following, especially with the young, & was among the last candidates standing. He stood out as the greatest contrast to the establishment candidates, & he was probably the only one of the Republican candidates whose standing actually improved by the end of the process. I think Sanders would fill a similar role. And Paul having set precedence as an outsider entering the Republican primaries so he had a better chance of being heard, the same goes for Sanders, who would probably be considered not particularly odd or illegitimate, considering what has come before him.
If he gets through the Republican primaries looking pretty good, as I believe he will, but failing to win their nomination (he’d be a longshot in either party), I think he should then run as a 3rd party candidate, especially if the choices are something like Hillary Clinton vs. Jeb Bush or Scott Walker. He would have established his credentials & shown himself a huge contrast to either of the major party candidates, & frankly what we need if we’re going to turn our ailing nation around. By running in the Republican, not Democratic, primary, he improves his standing with libertarians whose contempt for establishment Republicans is exceeded only by their loathing of Democrats, while also gaining favor with independents & members of minor parties, while progressive Democrats will see him as a viable alternative to the corporate Democratic nominee. By going this route, he would’ve done his utmost to make sure that his candidacy was a real alternative from the establishment duopoly we keep facing, rather than simply someone siphoning off votes from the Democratic nominee. And he’d have a real chance of winning, made better by running in the Republican than in the Democratic primaries, & his impact on the overall national conversation we need to have would be far greater, especially if simultaneously a progressive like Elizabeth Warren or Robert Reich ran in the Democratic primary, making many of the same arguments. But if, by chance, Sanders should win the Republican nomination, & it becomes he vs. Hillary, while that matchup might be formidable among Democrats only, add Republicans & independents into the mix, & it looks much better for him. But another scenario could also happen: his arguments reinforce the arguments made by the progressive candidate(s) in the Democratic primary, helping a Democratic progressive become nominee. And if, heaven allow, it ends up Sanders vs., say, Warren... (yes, I know I'm dreaming)
I think it’s his best course of action, but whichever path he chooses, I hope he runs.