A socialist grandpa, megalomaniac billionaire, ironically brain-dead neurosurgeon, and an incredibly dishonest former First Lady and Secretary of State all decide to run for president. No, this isn’t a joke or 2015’s hottest political thriller. These are just a few descriptions of some people who hope to be the next Commander-in-Chief. And while I’d love to tell you all about each of these characters and their supporting cast of twelve Republicans (by the time this is published, another one or two will probably drop out) and one Democrat (sorry, O’Malley), it would take a really, really long time. So today, I’m just going to tell you about the oldest candidate and the only independent running for the highest office in the land (hint: look at the title), and whether or not he has a liberal’s chance in the South of winning.

Bernie Sanders is a 74-year-old Vermont State Senator originally hailing from Brooklyn, New York. The son of Polish Jewish immigrants, Sanders attended Brooklyn University before transferring to the University of Chicago. During his college years, he got involved with the Civil Rights Movement and was even an organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. I think both sides of the political fence can tip their hats to him for that accomplishment. Several years later, he achieved his first political victory (after several attempts) when he was elected the mayor of Burlington, Vermont in 1981 by a mere twelve votes. His win was attributed to the support of the Progressive Coalition, a grassroots organization not unlike those supporting Sanders now. Establishing himself as a democratic socialist (I’ll explain that term later on) and already known for his unkempt appearance, Sanders was re-elected mayor three more times and won a House of Representatives seat in 1990. Looking to trade up, Sanders won a Senate seat in 2006 against his Republican opponent, who supposedly spent millions of dollars of his own money on his (ultimately futile) campaign. While Sanders obviously leans towards the left, he has no problem criticizing and disagreeing with Democrats as well as Republicans.

So with all that mandatory background info out of the way, what’s Sanders’ campaign about? First off, let’s cover the term “democratic socialist.” I can see people grabbing torches and pitchforks just as I say the word “socialist.” Images of totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany, North Korea, and Cold War Russia all immediately come to mind, right? Unfortunately, these are the three most prevalent but also the most twisted versions of socialism. Socialism itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing -- it’s a type of political/economic system, just like democracy or capitalism. Socialism isn’t necessarily new to America either. Remember Eugene Debs, one of those figures our high school history books kind of glossed over? He was a union leader and five-time presidential candidate for the Socialist Party of America in the early 1900s. Debs was especially active in labor disputes and strikes, obviously on the side of the workers, who weren’t exactly given a fair shake at the time. Anyway, Bernie Sanders’ brand of socialism doesn’t completely stomp on the democratic process that we hold so dear. Sanders main focus is on the economy, dealing with issues such as income inequality, the increasing wealth gap, and the perils of laissez-faire capitalism. Just look at the Great Recession, which we’re still recovering from. Millions of jobs were lost and hundreds of businesses were closed, yet CEOs got to keep their multi-million dollar bonuses. For example, when Lehman Brothers CEO Richard Fuld appeared in front of the House oversight committee after the company collapsed, the chairman of that committee, Henry Waxman, had some very interesting words to say to the CEO:

“Your company is now bankrupt, and our country is in a state of crisis, but you get to keep $480 million. I have a very basic question: Is that fair?” (Andrew McMeel Publishing LLC 31)*

Personally, I find it difficult to think of a profession that justifies a $480 million bonus, especially if that profession is related to those that caused the crisis in the first place. I’m not much of an economics guy as I know the basics of capitalism, but if you want more info about what Wall Street did to contribute to the recession, look up Credit Default Swaps. Anyway, I digress, and I’m not condemning capitalism nor am I suggesting that socialism would fix everything. Corporations own most of our country and politicians anyway, but we should realize that there is no perfect economic system and before we abolish the very thought of socialism, we should consider the flaws that capitalism itself also has. Sanders is very focused on these flaws, and most of his stances on other topics are of a liberal nature (recognizes climate change as a threat, supports social security, etc). However, he is lighter than most liberals on gun control, and while he is still for enhanced background checks, he hesitates to commit much further.

Now, all of this is well and good, but does Bernie Sanders actually stand a chance of getting the nomination, let alone getting elected? Honestly, it’s still a bit of a long shot. While he has had tremendous support from a dedicated crowd and has raised almost all of his campaign money from individual and grassroots fundraising, Hillary is still the Democrat’s front-runner. She’s a much more traditional liberal, and there are some in the party who would never vote for a socialist. Personally, I like Sanders, and I share his gripes with laissez-faire capitalism, but I’m not getting too optimistic. He’s still an underdog and outlier, regardless of his support and rising popularity. But who knows, the election is still a year away, and this circus is just getting started.

*Quote taken from Keep Calm and Carry On: Good Advice for Hard Times.