He is “emboldened by early polls of the race” that show him as a top contender

According to reports, socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is “set to announce” his 2020 presidential run. The Democrat field will be swarming with as many as 30 candidates . . . each apparently trying to out-socialist the others.

Though a socialist and Independent, Sanders is expected to run as a Democrat again in 2020. He is reportedly feeling more confident than he did in 2016 due to early polls showing him as among the top contenders for the 2020 Democratic nomination. He has consistently polled just behind former Vice President Joe Biden (D).

A November 2018 Hill.TV poll shows that the majority—30%—of Democrats are enthusiastic about backing “none of the above” for the 2020 Democratic nomination, while a recent Morning Consult/Politico poll shows Biden coming in first with 26% and Sanders in second place with 16%.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), largely seen as Sanders’ prime competitor, at 6% is tied for fourth place with Robert O’Rourke (who, like Biden and Sanders, has not yet thrown his hat in the ring). They trail Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) who came in third with 9%.

Sanders, however, sees signs that he’s in a good position to run for the nomination.

Yahoo News reports:

Three years after fighting a surprisingly competitive Democratic primary race against Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, is making another run for the White House. Two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told Yahoo News that Sanders, an independent and self-described “democratic socialist,” plans to announce his presidential bid imminently. While Sanders has been considering a bid for months, one of the sources said he was emboldened by early polls of the race that have consistently showed him as one of the top candidates in a crowded Democratic primary field. In particular, the source said Sanders was heartened to see numbers indicating he is one of the leading candidates among African American and Latino voters, two groups he was perceived as struggling with in 2016.

Despite ultimately losing the 2016 Democrat nomination to Hillary, who went on to lose the Presidential election to Donald Trump, Sanders is credited with “reshaping” the Democratic Party and is seen as largely responsible for its jarring leftward lunge.

The contentious and scandal-filled 2016 Democrat presidential primary resulted, however, in a division within the party that many are calling a “civil war” between the Socialist Democrats and the socialist Progressive Democrats.

Yahoo News continues:

Although Sanders was ultimately defeated by Clinton last time around, his upstart campaign reshaped the Democratic Party. Sanders ran on a progressive platform that included a focus on eliminating income inequality, on campaign finance reform and an ambitious “Medicare for All” health care proposal. Those principles have become centerpieces for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and several Sanders-backed candidates won elections last year. But Sanders’ impact on the Democratic Party went beyond his political vision. The primary battle between Sanders and Clinton was contentious, with Sanders allies contending that Clinton’s campaign was working in conjunction with the Democratic Party establishment to prevent a Sanders victory. These battles cemented divisions in this party that linger on as the 2020 election approaches.

We’ll let you know when he announces his candidacy, but don’t expect him to reveal how he intends to pay for everything for everyone.



