The moderator of the 2012 debate for Vermont’s United States Senate seat began by asking, “If you had 60 seconds with me in an elevator and had to describe yourself, what would you say?”

“I probably wouldn’t say anything,” the candidate of the Liberty Union Party, wearing a white T-shirt, said lethargically. The Marijuana Party’s contender showed more vim, invoking her Algonquin ancestry and the need to protect “Mother Earth.” And the Peace and Prosperity Party candidate crossed his fingers in an X to symbolize his 10 legislative proposals, saying through a heavy Hungarian accent, “I hope we can get to that later.”

Last came the incumbent, Senator Bernie Sanders. His dark suit and striped tie, neatly trimmed hair, rhetorical polish and unwavering message discipline unmistakably identified him as the establishment powerhouse.