I have great respect for Bernie Sanders. In terms of policy, I strongly agree with him on some things, disagree with him on others. But he’s principled and consistent — two qualities you don’t see much in politics anymore. And I appreciate that.

I think he would give Trump a real run for his money in 2020, but I don’t think he’ll get the nomination. I’ve noticed that there’s still a lot of residual bad blood between Bernie and Hillary supporters (not all of them, of course, but enough for it to be noticeable). And as far as I’m aware, he hasn’t polled all that well among Democrats.

I also think that his decision to run as a Democrat was understandably ill-received by more than a few party loyalists. And if I’m being honest, I have to say that I don’t disagree with them. He isn’t a Democrat. He didn’t help build the party or contribute to its past success. He chose to temporarily become a Democrat just so he could take advantage of the platform and resources that the party was able to provide. From a practical standpoint, it was a smart move on his part, but I also understand why it frustrated some longtime Democrats.

That being said, I think he’d make a much better nominee than a lot of other names than have been tossed about. I’m still kinda baffled by all the talk about Beto. He’s no more qualified to be president than Trump was in 2016. And I don’t think Gillibrand has much of a chance against Trump, either. Booker could maybe make a tough candidate, but I feel like his flair for the dramatic could come back to bite him. So maybe Bernie would be the best person to go with. I don’t think it’ll play out that way, but I could most certainly be wrong!