The most admirable thing about Bernie Sanders is that he always makes it about the “revolution,” and never himself. He has no interest in power and celebrity for its own sake. He has nothing but disdain for the personal, and for identity politics. If you get him and his ideas, fine; if not, he just moves on. It’s your choice; he’s not going to do much to try to tip the scales in his favor.
In that respect, he couldn’t be less like the current narcissist-in-chief. Bernie’s problem, however, is that identity politics prevail in this country, and his base is far too small to get him the nomination, let alone the presidency. If he won’t kiss babies, and he won’t move to the right on social issues, how can he expand his constituency beyond left-leaning white working class male millennials?
He has exactly one path to the presidency: a massive recession which destroys America’s belief in capitalism. That’s it. Don’t hold your breath.