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President Bernie Sandersworld
What if Democrats had harnessed the growing working-class populist sentiment by letting Bernie Sanders win the 2016 primary?
What if the Democratic Party had rallied behind Bernie Sanders in 2016, harnessing the rising tide of populism instead of leaving it to the Republicans under Donald Trump?
As the GOP grudgingly embraced Trump’s outsider status starting in 2016, the Democrats doubled down on the establishment, a choice that has reverberated through American politics ever since.
In 2015, many Democrats vocally opposed Bernie Sanders. Their arguments largely centered on a single, irrefutable point: Bernie Sanders was not a Democrat. The Vermont senator, a registered Independent, had long criticized both parties, often hitting the Democratic establishment as hard as their Republican counterparts. At the time, Sanders’ outsider status mirrored the progressive fervor seen today in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, though his rebellious streak has since mellowed.
However, Sanders wasn’t alone in his outsider status. Donald Trump wasn’t exactly a traditional Republican in 2015, either. A lifelong Democrat, Trump epitomized the New York City elite, mingling with celebrities, athletes, and journalists. He was brash, twice-divorced, and well-known in Hollywood circles. For Republican leaders, he was anathema.