Originally posted by Yttrium
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Sanders is the longest-serving independent in congress in US history, which is what I'm referring to when I call him an independent. In congress, he gets elected as an "independent" by voters in Vermont but chooses to caucus with the democrats, and gets appointed to positions (e.g. budget committee chair) as if he were a democrat. In Vermont, he typically runs in the Democratic primary, wins, declines their nomination and then runs in the general as an "independent". But for the presidential race itself in 2016 and 2020 he did/would slap the label "Democrat" on his ticket.
I'm saying he's got the outside-the-two-party-system, history of running as an "independent", flair that's popular with voters.
I think 2020 Sanders versus Trump in a general would be a landslide for Sanders such as the US hasn't seen for decades. And I say that based on looking at polling data, not based on some gut feeling. It would be the US's most popular politician versus the US's least popular politician. It wouldn't be remotely close.
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