He is correct that there are more independents than either Dems or Repubs among the voters, although this is not a new trend. The independent vote has been on the rise since 2008 (35% to 41%).
He is correct about the health care and education and campaign finance reform (although, he was a beneficiary of PAC money during the election).
He wants independents to save the Democratic Party from Democrats. But how will he run in 2020 if he doesn't intend to rejoin the Democratic Party?
-- Bernie Sanders was the runner-up for the Democratic nomination to be president in 2016, and he’s considering another try in 2020, but the [bold]Vermont senator remains adamant that he will not become a member of the party.[/bold]
-- “According to polling that I have seen, there are more people who now consider themselves independents than who are Democrats or Republicans,” replied Sanders. “[bold]There is not a lot of love, frankly, for either the Democratic or Republican Party and many people are discouraged with both. They’re turning away from both.[/bold] So I think it is not a bad idea to have somebody who says, ‘I understand that. I am an independent. … I have had to run against Democrats. But [bold]I want you, as independents, to come into the Democratic primaries and transform the Democratic Party.[/bold]’”
-- In 2018, the 76-year-old says he is focused on coasting to a third term as Vermont’s junior senator. [bold]His name will appear on the Democratic primary ballot in the state’s August primary.[/bold] But when he wins, he will formally decline the nomination and run as an independent in the general election. [bold]Doing it this way ensures he will have no Democratic challenger.[/bold]
-- He is also nervous about the growing number of Democratic billionaires who are wading into politics and pushing the party toward more plutocratic policies. He fears this will entrench what he sees as an oligarchy that already controls the country. // "“Look, there are billionaires out there who are very decent people, who are smart people, who are well-intentioned people,” said Sanders. “But they shouldn’t have the right to run for office any more than a working stiff, who is also decent and bright, but can’t afford to raise the millions of dollars that are needed for a campaign. So, yeah, I do have real concerns about that.”
-- For Democrats to be united in 2020, [bold]Sanders said it is imperative the party reduce the number of superdelegates who will be able to choose the nominee.[/bold]
-- [bold]He also wants to open more primaries[/bold] so that people who aren’t registered as members of the party can still participate.
-- He said the two major parties are jointly responsible for trade deals that he thinks hurt workers.
-- Sanders has had mixed success this year as he’s traveled the country endorsing candidates in Democratic primaries.
-- By his count, he’s visited about 30 states since President Trump got elected and most were carried by the president. “Because I think it's important to talk to Trump supporters and to say to them, ‘Look, we understand,’” he said. “No question about it, some Trump supporters are racist, are sexist, are homophobes. … I don't think the majority of them are. I think these are people in many cases who feel the establishment has ignored them. And you know what? The establishment has ignored them! Both political parties have ignored them!”
