About half the country is running to become the Democratic presidential nominee for 2020 right now, and a few of them have a shot of making it. While it might feel like some of them materialized out of nowhere, they all have long political careers behind them. And some of their records are not what you'd expect from someone on the Dem side. Yes, that includes ...

6 As Mayor, Bernie Sanders Threw Antiwar Protesters In Jail

Fun fact: During the 2016 election, Bernie Sanders received more donations from defense contractor employees than Ted Cruz. Did they spell "Jeb Bush" wrong or something? Nope, as weird as it sounds, they've been feeling the Bern for a long time. It largely has to do with Sanders' record in Vermont, a state that has deep ties to the defense industry. He has consistently acted in their favor, like when he supported the funding for the $1.2 trillion stealth fighter that, per the Air Force, can't fight. (It seems the hope is to make enemy pilots die from laughing at it too much in low-oxygen environments.)

Samuel King/U.S.A.F.

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But the most noted display of Sanders' support for the defense industry came before his time in the Senate, when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont. In 1983, activists protested a munitions factory in Burlington because it was manufacturing guns going to Central America for use in Ronald Reagan's commie-smashing efforts. Many in the area weren't that cool with covert death squads, and some tried to block the entrance to the factory. Mayor Sanders had them all arrested.

His excuse? The protesters blocked employees from their work, so cracking down on them was actually in line with his principles. Plus, we guess jail does technically count as free government-sponsored housing, even if it's only for a few days.