Summary
Sen. Bernie Sanders is touring Iowa and Nebraska to rally against “the oligarchy,” aiming to energize progressives rather than launch a 2028 presidential bid.
At 83, he seeks to shape the Democratic Party’s future, arguing it lost in 2024 by neglecting working-class voters.
He hopes to influence budget battles and the 2026 midterms, targeting GOP lawmakers in battleground districts.
With Democrats lacking clear leadership, Sanders’ prominence and focus on economic inequality could define the party’s direction in the Trump-Musk era.
Won’t happen in the US unless we get some form of ranked choice voting.
Look at the last 25 years or so from the various Election wikis:
2000 - Green (Nader) 2.74%, Reform (Buchanan) 0.43%, Libertarian 0.36%, Constitution 0.09%, Natural Law 0.08%.
2004 - Reform 0.38% (Nader this time instead of Buchanan), Libertarian 0.32%, Constitution 0.12%, Green 0.10%, Peace and Freedom 0.02%, Socialist 0.01%, Socialist Workers 0.01%, Christian Freedom 0.002%.
2008 - Nader 0.56%, Libertarian 0.4%, Constitution 0.15%, Green 0.12%, America’s Independent Party 0.04%
2012 - Libertarian 0.99%, Green 0.36% (Jill Stein), Constitution 0.09%, Peace and Freedom 0.05% (Roseanne Barr), Justice 0.03%, America’s 0.03%.
2016 - Libertarian 3.28%, Green 1.07% (Jill Stein), Independant 0.54%, Constitution 0.15%, Socialism and Liberation 0.05%.
2020 - Libertarian 1.18%, Green 0.26% (Howie Hawkins), Reform 0.19%.
2024 - Green (Jill Stein) 0.56%, RFK Jr. 0.49%, Libertarian 0.42%.
The best shot any 3rd party had was Nader in 2000 and the Libertarians in 2016. All other races? Yeah, no. You know it’s bad when you can add up ALL the 3rd parties across multiple elections and still not crack 3%.