If we assume Sanders is elected President, will he remain a nominal Democrat or will he return to being an independent. And if your answer is he will stay a Democrat so he has the party support for his re-election in 2024 then assume he wins again in 2024. Without worrying about running again will he resume being an independent?
Bernie would stay a Democrat to help retain the support of Democrats in Congress, which he would need. Flipping back to being an Independent in office would be a slap in the face to the party that put him in power.
He loves slapping that party in the face. If he wins in November, he’ll be an independent by January.
Bernie does what he says he’ll do–he’s running as a Democrat, he’s agreed to serve as a Democrat and he’ll do just that. He’s caucused with the Dems all along but stays independent because his constituency in Vermont is more comfortable with that and he wants to show them he’s sensitive to their preferences. Bernie don’t give a fuck about labels, in case it’s escaped anyone’s notice, but he’s aware not everyone feels the same way.
He’ll stay a Democrat to change the party to be more like him.
Worked for the current “Republican” in office. But I don’t mind if Bernie does it.
Assuming he lives until 2024, what good would leaving the Democratic party do? Wouldn’t the party just nominate someone else for President, resulting in a three-way race? Or would he sign one of those “Democratic Party loyalty oaths” like he had to in order to run as a Democrat in 2020?
This. He went back to being an Independent within months of losing to Hillary, as shown on his Senate website. He’s run against Vermont Democrats 14 times over the course of his career.
Yeah, Patrick Leahy is on real thin ice in Vermont for being a Democrat representing the state since 1974.
Ok…
NOTE: If you want to run as a Democrat you have to sign that pledge (at least for president). It is part of the DNC rules so, unless changed, Sanders will continue as a democrat.
As recently as Jan. 29, his Senate website still describes him as an Independent: https://www.sanders.senate.gov/
So, do you want to go with the website some low tier staffer is tasked with updating and no one told him/her to change because they are kinda busy right now or do you want to go with the legal and notarized document Sanders signed and submitted to the DNC (a scan of which was in my last post)?
Also note that pledge says he agrees the DNC alone gets to decide who a “democrat” is. He does not have to agree. The DNC rules now explicitly state that they decide who is and is not a democrat.
And if he doesn’t continue as a Dem then what can the DNC do?
Sanders was elected to the Senate as an Independent, so there’s no reason for his Senate site to claim anything different. When he did not win the Democratic nomination in 2016, he went back to being an Independent because he was elected as an Independent, and not elected as a Democrat.
I’m sure that if he is elected as a Democrat, he will serve as a Democrat. I think any speculation that he will do otherwise is just silly.
Who cares what he calls himself? He’s more left/liberal than most of the Democratic party. If he becomes president it’s not like he’s suddenly going to adopt a bunch of far right policies. We know what his policy positions are and have been for the last 40 years. They aren’t going to change.
he had to declare to be a Dem because in many states he has to do that to be on the ballot as a Dem. Here in NC he had to do that by Jan 3rd for the March 3rd primary.
What he signed says the DNC can decide who is or is not a democrat. At the very least they can keep him off the dem ballot in future elections.
It also may give them some room for impeachment…not sure.
He will remain a Democrat (or “Democrat”) exactly as long as he feels he absolutely has to, and not a millisecond longer.
I don’t think anyone here mistakes me for a Bernie-Brat. But show the man some respect! He’s more of a Democrat than Lieberman (who got the VP nod in 2000), or than Bloomberg.
If the long-shot lottery comes in, and Bernie gets 270 ev’s, I’ll be passing out champagne in glee! It sounds like you guys might go straight into mourning.
It matter because being an elected Democrat is more than just what you call yourself. It’s joining a group. And while it might not be that big a deal for lower offices, a Democratic President is the highest level in the land, and comes with power and responsibilities. Why do you think Republicans give into Trump so often?
That said, I see absolutely no reason that Sanders would have to change parties. It would harm his ability to run again, and cut him off from allies. It’s one thing to not change to a Democrat in the Senate and another to take an active step to disavow the Democrats once president.
It would not be a rational course of action for him.
That same month he hedged his bets for reelection to the Senate: Bernie Sanders Files To Run As Both A Democrat And An Independent : NPR
If you want to be a Democrat, great, come on over! Glad to have you. But don’t be a Democrat just twice in your career, having run against Vermont Democrats 14 times over the years and having spoken out publicly, sometimes insultingly, against the Democratic Party. Don’t do it just when the Presidency might be within your grasp. That’s nothing more than political opportunism.