I have a friend who told me Sanders is an interloper, an independent running for the Democratic nomination. He pointed out Sanders only became a Democrat just before the New Hampshire primary and immediately went back to being an independent right after the general election of 2016. He's still registered as an independent.

I wondered how many other Democrats think along his line. So I went to YouGov to see how those who affiliated or call themselves Democrats viewed the Candidates. Question 38. Democrats line up as this, Biden 29%, Warren 22% Sanders 15%. For all other Democratic candidates look at Question 38. Then independents who are planning on voting in the Democratic Primaries in open state primaries. Independents view the candidates differently. Sanders 28%, Biden 12%, Warren 12%.

https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.ne...nTabReport.pdf

So maybe he has a point. More independents are backing Sanders than the party faithful. He is a Biden supporter which may have biased his view on Sanders as an interloper. But perhaps not. The numbers show Sanders fairly weak among rank and file Democrats, strong among independents who will be voting in the democratic primaries.

I think we need to remember than in 2016 Sanders won 59% of the independent vote who voted in the Democratic Primaries vs Hillary winning 65% of those rank and file Democrats, who make up the Democratic base. Is he right? I'm still not sure, but the numbers tend to point that he is.

It's high past time that we start electing Americans to congress and the presidency who put America first instead of their political party. For way too long we have been electing Republicans and Democrats who happen to be Americans instead of Americans who happen to be Republicans and Democrats.