I didn’t save the favorable/unfavorable numbers for the primaries in 2016 or the exit polls for all the Democratic primaries. There were only three candidates that were seen in a positive light, seen more favorable than unfavorable. Sanders, Rubio and Kasich. Which goes back to my likeable factor influencing how independents vote.

Here's something to contemplate on reference the 2016 Democratic primaries.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-primary-electorate-key-findings-from-the-exit-polls/

From Above

Overall, Hillary Clinton won the support of self-identified Democrats who voted in Democratic primaries and caucuses where exit polls were conducted by a margin of nearly 30 percentage points, while self-identified independents voted for Bernie Sanders by a similar margin. Democrats made up 75 percent of voters, while independents made up just 22 percent.

While Bernie Sanders (50 percent) edged out Hillary Clinton (48 percent) among white voters overall, 77 percent of black Democratic primary voters chose Clinton.

Like Barack Obama eight years ago, Bernie Sanders captured the vote of younger voters under 30, and they made up a greater percentage of the electorate in 2016 (17 percent) than in 2008 (14 percent). And Sanders fared better among these younger voters, winning 71 percent of voters under 30 (compared to 59 percent for Obama in 2008).

Much more in that article. I think 2016 was Sanders time to win if he was going to. Compared to Trump and Hillary Clinton, Sanders was well respected. I’ll add this, my candidate for 2016 was Jim Webb, when Webb didn’t campaign, probably knowing the fix was in for Clinton, I switched to Kasich. Once he was gone, it was Johnson who ended up getting my vote. I was rooting for Sanders in the Democratic primaries back in 2016. I would have voted for him over Trump. Last year it was Biden I rooted for; he was the safe candidate to beat Trump. There was never a doubt about that in my mind.

Here's the polling from 2016 on a Sanders vs. Trump matchup.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/e...eral_election_trump_vs_sanders-5565.html

Now how Sanders would have faired in the general election in 2016 being attacked constantly as a socialist. I don’t know. But his polling numbers vs. Trump were great.

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.