Bernie Sanders Campaign Showed Power and Limits of Socialism’s Appeal

In 2016, Bernie Sanders got 13.2 million people to vote for him in the Democratic primary — good for 43 percent. We can now surmise that a chunk of that total represented Democrats who simply wanted a non–Hillary Clinton option.

In this cycle, about 4.5 million out of 15 million voters in the Democratic primary voted for Sanders — just under 30 percent in a much more crowded field.

About the Author

Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty is the senior political correspondent of National Review.

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In 2016, Bernie Sanders got 13.2 million people to vote for him in the Democratic primary — good for 43 percent. We can now surmise that a chunk of that total represented Democrats who simply wanted a non–Hillary Clinton option.

In this cycle, about 4.5 million out of 15 million voters in the Democratic primary voted for Sanders — just under 30 percent in a much more crowded field.