Democrats are becoming Berniecrats

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is having a moment. Not long ago he was a political outlier and something of an elected gadfly — a self-proclaimed socialist in a Democratic Party that wasn’t comfortable with socialism. No more.

Sanders and his socialist ideas are increasingly the driving force in today’s Democratic Party, especially among younger Democrats.

Traditional, left-leaning Democrats are becoming increasingly irrelevant. They aren’t leaving the party — the party is leaving them, as Sanders’s followers rack up political wins across the country.

Sanders was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1991. He then won a Senate seat in 2007. Although he identifies as an independent, he caucuses with Democrats and holds Democratic committee positions.

Sanders’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016 was initially considered a longshot, yet he won 23 primaries and caucuses, coming in second to Hillary Clinton with 46 percent of the overall vote.

He ran again in 2020, after signing a loyalty pledge to the Democratic Party. He did well and was even considered the frontrunner by some media outlets in the spring of 2020. But the Democratic establishment grew concerned Sanders might win the nomination and fell in behind Joe Biden for the South Carolina primary. Biden’s win in the Palmetto State changed the trajectory of the Democratic primaries, putting Biden on the path to win the nomination.

Sanders will be 87 years old at the next presidential election in 2028. He is too old to be the king, but not too old to be a kingmaker. Progressive candidates are reaching........

© The Hill