Bernie Sanders has a lot going for him. He’s got almost universal name recognition, campaign infrastructure and an active small-dollar donor base (which has already helped him rake in $6 million since his announcement on Tuesday). His ‘tell it like it is’ style earned him admiration from cynical voters tired of polished politicians who say one thing on the trail and do another in office. Oh, he’s also got merch. Lots and lots of it.
What he lacks is his biggest asset from 2016: a one vs. one contest for the nomination. Back in 2016, Sanders was defined as much by who he wasn’t (Hillary Clinton) as by who he was (the democratic socialist). CONT.
Amy Walter, Cook Political Report