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The man the Democrats never understood

2026-11-10 20:42:00Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

In November 2026, as Democrats celebrate one of the biggest electoral victories in recent decades, certain political ideologies built over years are more present than ever in American politics.

Bernie Sanders is not the man Democrats wanted to have at the helm of the party. But he is perhaps the man they should have heard from much earlier.

His political history is a story of defeats, rejections, and unfinished battles. But also a story of unusual perseverance, of a politician who for decades spoke out about economic inequality, the power of billionaires, health care, and the middle-class crisis, when most of the American establishment did not consider these issues a priority.

Sanders, 85, is one of the most unusual figures in American politics. Born in Brooklyn, with a career that began far from the corridors of power in Washington, he became mayor of Burlington, a congressman and then an independent senator from Vermont. He never really became part of the Democratic establishment, although he has collaborated with them in Congress for years.

In 2016, Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. She had the support of the vast majority of the party establishment, major donors, and key political figures. He had something else: thousands of volunteers, the support of young people, and a message that directly hit the American economic system.

His campaign became a phenomenon. He managed to win 23 states, but he could not stop Clinton, who secured the nomination. The loss was heavy, but not enough to extinguish the movement he had created.

Four years later, in 2020, Sanders returned. This time, he entered the race as one of the front-runners and gained ground in the early states. But Democrats gradually coalesced around Joe Biden, and Sanders lost the support he needed to secure the nomination. Once again, he was left out of the White House.

For the Democratic establishment, these two races were an argument that Sanders could not win. For his supporters, they were proof that the party had never been willing to give him a fair chance.

But presidential defeats were not the only battle lost.

In the Senate, Sanders has repeatedly seen proposals that are the heart of his political platform defeated. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Medicare for All, and limiting the economic power of corporations are some of the causes he has championed for years, without succeeding in turning them into federal law.

In 2021, his amendment to raise the minimum wage was blocked in the Senate by 58 votes to 42. In 2025, another attempt to raise the federal minimum wage to $17 was defeated by 52 votes to 47.

It was another clash with Washington reality. Sanders could capture public attention, mobilize millions of Americans, and change the political debate, but that didn't mean he could convince the Senate.

However, while his proposals lost votes, they gained ground in American society.

In 2016, Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. She had the support of the vast majority of the party establishment, major donors, and key political figures. He had something else: thousands of volunteers, the support of young people, and a message that directly hit the American economic system.

His campaign became a phenomenon. He managed to win 23 states, but he could not stop Clinton, who secured the nomination. The loss was heavy, but not enough to extinguish the movement he had created.

Four years later, in 2020, Sanders returned. This time, he entered the race as one of the front-runners and gained ground in the early states. But Democrats gradually coalesced around Joe Biden, and Sanders lost the support he needed to secure the nomination. Once again, he was left out of the White House.

For the Democratic establishment, these two races were an argument that Sanders could not win. For his supporters, they were proof that the party had never been willing to give him a fair chance.

But presidential defeats were not the only battle lost.

In the Senate, Sanders has repeatedly seen proposals that are the heart of his political platform defeated. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Medicare for All, and limiting the economic power of corporations are some of the causes he has championed for years, without succeeding in turning them into federal law.

In 2021, his amendment to raise the minimum wage was blocked in the Senate by 58 votes to 42. In 2025, another attempt to raise the federal minimum wage to $17 was defeated by 52 votes to 47.

It was another clash with Washington reality. Sanders could capture public attention, mobilize millions of Americans, and change the political debate, but that didn't mean he could convince the Senate.

However, while his proposals lost votes, they gained ground in American society.

In 2016, Sanders challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. She had the support of the vast majority of the party establishment, major donors, and key political figures. He had something else: thousands of volunteers, the support of young people, and a message that directly hit the American economic system.

His campaign became a phenomenon. He managed to win 23 states, but he could not stop Clinton, who secured the nomination. The loss was heavy, but not enough to extinguish the movement he had created.

Four years later, in 2020, Sanders returned. This time, he entered the race as one of the front-runners and gained ground in the early states. But Democrats gradually coalesced around Joe Biden, and Sanders lost the support he needed to secure the nomination. Once again, he was left out of the White House.

For the Democratic establishment, these two races were an argument that Sanders could not win. For his supporters, they were proof that the party had never been willing to give him a fair chance.

But presidential defeats were not the only battle lost.

In the Senate, Sanders has repeatedly seen proposals that are the heart of his political platform defeated. Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Medicare for All, and limiting the economic power of corporations are some of the causes he has championed for years, without succeeding in turning them into federal law.

In 2021, his amendment to raise the minimum wage was blocked in the Senate by 58 votes to 42. In 2025, another attempt to raise the federal minimum wage to $17 was defeated by 52 votes to 47.

It was another clash with Washington reality. Sanders could capture public attention, mobilize millions of Americans, and change the political debate, but that didn't mean he could convince the Senate.

However, while his proposals lost votes, they gained ground in American society.


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