Summary

Sanders begins this chapter by addressing four basic reasons that enforced his decision to run for the presidency: Hillary was too centrist and too entrenched in the “Democratic establishment” (48) to run unopposed, there were no other potential democratic candidates, he had the privilege of testing the waters before committing to candidacy, and he saw Vermont’s political history as a platform for the nation’s future. These aspects collectively gave Sanders the confidence to finally announce his candidacy.

Sanders made the decision to test the waters to determine whether there was enough nationwide support for a Sanders presidency. He had done well in Vermont politics, but understood the necessity of “a fifty-state effort” for this campaign (57). Instead of focusing on democratic strongholds, Sanders wanted to appeal to those who had lost faith in the political system. He was well-received in red states...