The estimable Bernard Sanders, U. S. Senator from Vermont, is floating the idea of a run for the White House in 2016. As much as I respect Sen. Sanders, I advise against a third-party run by Mr. Sanders in 2016, under our current system. The last time a major socialist candidate ran for President was Eugene Debs in 1920. Impressively, Debs garnered nearly a million votes. This shows how desperate people were for an alternative under the profit system of the time.
As soon as I can I will research the Presidential race that year to see what kind of impact it had on the Democratic candidate. The only time in my memory a Democratic Presidential candidate did well against a third party left-of-center opponent was Pres. Harry Truman in 1948.
Now Sen. Sanders is also talking about the possibility of running as a Democrat in the primaries in 2016. That makes more sense, though it is not immediately the most natural move, since Sanders has an identifiable image as an independent. Still, I see him as able to contribute in important ways to the national discussion in the lead-up to the nomination, even if he did not get it.
But a third party effort? Think again, if you please.
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