History UsefulNotes / BernieSanders

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Bernard "Bernie" Sanders (born September 8, 1941) is a United States Senator from Vermont. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he grew up in a Jewish family with his parents and his brother Larry (who moved to Britain as an adult and also became a politician). He became interested in politics at a young age, participating in the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement with none other than UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr himself. Bernie's father emigrated to the United States from what is now Poland just before the rise of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, and much of his extended family was murdered during UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust. Sanders credits much of his early interest in politics to this: "A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932. He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, including six million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important." Sanders moved to Vermont in 1968, and his first position as an official elected member of government was as mayor of Burlington; he served as such from 1981 to 1989. From there, he served as the representative of Vermont's at-large House district in the U.S. Congress starting from 1991. He was elected to his Senate seat in 2006.

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!!I am once again asking for your tropes:
* AffectionateNickname: Known as "America's Dad, Bernie Sanders" by many progressive leftists, thanks to political commentator Creator/KyleKulinski coining that nickname. He's also called "America's Grandpa," and, by his Hispanic and Arab supporters, "Tío Bernie" or "Amo Bernie."[[note]]"Uncle Bernie" in Spanish and Arabic, respectively.[[/note]]
* AlterKocker: Often appears in political cartoons and the like portrayed this way.
* BourgeoisBohemian: Bernie is personally relatively wealthy, being worth over $1 million, and as a result he's often accused of being this by his political opponents. However, considering that his opposition is primarily against big ''corporations'', whereas he became wealthy through his senatorial salary and the sales of his books, it falls a little flat.
* CelebrityResemblance: On [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSVQoTd_sUk the July 3, 1987]] episode of ''Bernie Speaks with the Community'' a child tells Sanders that he looks like Doc Brown from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''.
* ChekhovsGunman:
** Then a freshman senator little-known outside New England, and years before the 2016 presidential election made him one of the most famous politicians in America, Sanders was first introduced to a national audience in Creator/MichaelMoore's 2009 documentary ''Film/CapitalismALoveStory''. In it, Sanders explains his socialist philosophy and how it might help America in the wake of the Great Recession.
** If you want to go further back, you can possibly count his appearance on ''Series/{{Today}}'' in [[https://youtu.be/OraxqbUjpHw January 1981]]. The story revolved around the curiosity of a self-identified socialist getting elected as mayor of a major city during the same election that made UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan president.
** While UsefulNotes/BarackObama was defending the bailouts of 2008 (infamously given mostly to big banks and corporations), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k2epmYRlUY you can see Bernie, looking rather disgruntled, sitting right behind him]].
* CoolOldGuy: To his supporters. There's a reason he was popular with young people despite being one of the oldest candidates running. Had he actually ''won'' the nomination either of the two times he bid for it, he would have become the oldest major-party presidential candidate in American history.
* CrazyPrepared: After one too many disingenuous acts of concern trolling (plus a few genuine cases of actual lack of understanding) about how he would pay for all his plans, Bernie was predictably expecting the same question yet again in a Creator/{{CNN}} town hall, except this time [[https://youtu.be/hYmlzB7AIWM?t=3m51s he brought along a receipt]] for the complete breakdown of his plans' costs and told the audience it would be up on his campaign website as well.
* EarlyBirdCameo: Sanders makes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afQFMrh9LL0 a brief appearance]] in the 1988 film ''Sweet Hearts Dance'' (which was filmed in Vermont) as a man handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: While mayor of Burlington, Sanders starred in a weekly public access TV show called ''Series/BernieSpeaksWithTheCommunity'', which aired from 1986 to 1988. Each episode revolved around Sanders' interactions with the community and him discussing the current events surrounding the city. Political news website ''Politico'' unearthed and publicized the series in 2019 and all episodes of it have since been uploaded to Website/YouTube. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AwCZIJunBI The March 5, 1988 episode]] in which Sanders visits the Burlington Square Mall and talks to passers-by is particularly popular due to a scene where he talks to a pair of young goths.
* FauxHorrific: Bernie made an awesomely hilarious mockery of billionaires whining at the very idea of a wealth tax at a grassroots fundraiser in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC
-->'''Bernie:''' [[https://youtu.be/i9vQYjKvILc?t=17m46s The billionaires are actually getting very emotional, they're breaking down (whiny voice) "They want to take our money! Oh my God! How terrible can these people be?! We only have 150 billion dollars! They want us to pay taxes! What is this country coming to?!"]]
* FirstNameBasis: Bernie is generally referred to by his first name rather than his last name in campaign merchandise (and even in the media), unusual for a politician. An old interview from when he was mayor of Burlington reveals that he prefers to be called by his first name so that people see him as a public servant rather than as a person of some exalted status.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: After a bird landed on his podium during a speech in Portland, Oregon, during his 2016 campaign, people told jokes that Mother Nature had given Bernie Sanders her support, given his strong environmentalist stance. This incident earned Bernie the nickname "Birdie Sanders."
* GracefulLoser: Despite ultimately conceding his bid for the Democratic nomination of the 2016 and 2020 election, he was at least a good sport about it and threw his support behind the prospective nominee (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden) who beat him for the nomination.
* HeAlsoDid: Sanders released an album of folk songs called ''We Shall Overcome'' in 1987.
* HistoryRepeats: Both times Bernie has run for presidency, in 2016 and 2020, despite his apparent public support as a "revolutionary" against the establishment he's ultimately out-done by the favorite of the Democratic Party (part of that same establishment) to win (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively) before he pulls out and backs their nomination, telling his supporters to support them in defeating Donald Trump, who had already secured the Republican nomination.
* InformedJudaism: He's Jewish, but he very rarely speaks about religion, preferring to focus on policy. Asked about it, Sanders said that his family "wasn't very religious" -- other than going to synagogue once a year on Yom Kippur, and having a small Passover seder with their neighbors. He did go to Hebrew school (which even his mother felt was a chore) and had a bar mitzvah, and says he is "proud to be Jewish". Still, he isn't focused on it, so much as he is on social justice issues in general ([[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders#Religion,_heritage,_and_values a whole section on this]] in their article about him).
* InsistentTerminology: Sanders describes himself as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism democratic socialist]], which has caused a couple of opposing reactions. More hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his actual policies are closer to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy social democracy]] (that is, a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services), but [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare his political opponents use the socialist label as a scare word to attack him.]]
* MemeAcknowledgement: Bernie has shown himself to be perfectly aware of all the memes made of him and is generally shown to be a good sport about them, even if he doesn't indulge in them.
* MemeticHair: The silhouette of Bernie's hair and glasses is frequently depicted on merchandise.
* MemeticMutation
** "I am once again asking for your financial support."[[note]]Both of Sanders' presidential campaigns have been almost entirely funded by small donations from layman and -woman supporters. During the 2020 election, Sanders put out a campaign ad which showed him in the middle of a winter landscape, speaking directly to the viewer, his monologue opening with, "I am once again asking for your financial support." The image of Sanders from the ad captioned with the aforementioned quote later became a popular meme.[[/note]]
** Bernie sitting memes[[note]]A photo of Sanders sitting during Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration wearing a thick parka and homemade mittens (knitted by one of his constituents) went viral and saw people photoshopping him into various scenes such as the [[Series/GameOfThrones the Iron Throne]] or on the bench next to ''Film/ForrestGump''.[[/note]]
* NerdGlasses: Overlaps with MemeticHair above. Though it better applies with the large, plastic framed glasses he [[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/11/25/us/26SANDERSweb1/26SANDERSweb1-superJumbo.jpg wore in the 1980s]].
* TakeAThirdOption:
** Save his bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sanders has appealed to this by running officially as an independent since 1980 ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_history_of_Bernie_Sanders he ran]] on behalf of the Liberty Union Party, a small left-wing party in Vermont, for governor and senator in the 1970s).
** He was also this on the day of the 2016 presidential election: even though he wasn't running, he got 5.7 percent of the vote on write-ins in Vermont. Also, a Democratic elector in Hawaii voted for him instead of Hillary Clinton, while two others in Maine and Minnesota tried to but had their votes invalidated.
* UnknownRelative: Sanders was frequently parodied on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive'' being played by Creator/LarryDavid, star of ''Series/CurbYourEnthusiasm''. Many remarked on their very similar appearance. Only ''after'' that had been going on for a while, they appeared in an episode of ''Finding Your Roots'', which revealed that they ''are'' distantly related ("something like third or fourth cousins"). Neither Sanders nor David had any prior idea of the connection.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: Sanders has had grey hair since his thirties. In a manner much like Creator/SteveMartin, it has helped to keep his appearance consistent as he aged. Going [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vabeos-F8Kk as far back as 1992]], Sanders doesn't look that much different than he does today. Going even further back to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OraxqbUjpHw his appearance]] on ''The Today Show'' in January 1981, he only looks maybe 15 years younger, rather than 40. It has helped burnish his public image, as one can go back thirty years and still see Sanders in his familiar GrumpyOldMan persona advocating for the same policies that are key planks of his platform today. Sanders was in his mid-40s when ''Bernie Speaks with the Community'' aired, though a viewer could easily mistake him for being in his 60s.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Inverted: the hatred he's garnered from wealthy, influential magnates fills him with pride. Bernie released [[https://berniesanders.com/anti-endorsements/ a list of wealthy individuals]], mostly [=CEOs=], who hate him with a passion while citing several of their shady financial practices. He borrows a quote from UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt, [[BadassBoast "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."]]

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!!Bernie Sanders has been portrayed in:

* FirstNameBasis: Bernie is generally referred to by his first name rather than his last name in campaign merchandise (and even in the media), unusual for a politician.

Sanders's 2016 political campaign gained massive traction among young people, and many of his notable positions, such as a 15-dollar hourly minimum wage, have become part of the Democratic Party's mainstream platform. In 2019, Sanders announced his intention to run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with his campaign drawing heavily from his strong base from the 2016 primary cycle. For a time, Bernie was seen as the frontrunner, but ultimately lost out to former Vice President UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, who became the nominee and, eventually, the President after defeating incumbent UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.

** Then a freshman senator little-known outside New England, and years before the 2016 presidential election made him one of the most famous politicians in America, Sanders was first introduced to a national audience in the 2009 Creator/MichaelMoore documentary ''Film/CapitalismALoveStory''. In it, Sanders explains his socialist philosophy and how it might help America in the wake of the Great Recession.

** While Obama was defending the bailouts of 2008 (infamously given to big banks and corporations), [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k2epmYRlUY you can see Bernie, looking rather disgruntled, sitting right behind him]].

* FauxHorrific: Bernie made an awesomely hilarious mockery of billionaires whining at the very idea of a wealth tax at a Grassroots Fundraiser in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC

* GracefulLoser: Despite ultimately conceding his bid for the Democratic nomination of the 2016 and 2020 election, he was at least a good sport about it and threw his support behind the prospective nominee (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden) who proved his victor.

* HistoryRepeats: Both times Bernie has run for presidency, in 2016 and 2020, despite his apparent public support as a "revolutionary" against the establishment he's ultimately out-done by the favorite of the Democratic Party (part of that same establishment) to win (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively) before he pulls out and backs their nomination, telling his supporters to support them in defeating UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump, who had already secured the Republican nomination.

* MemeAcknowledgement: Bernie's shown to be perfectly aware of all the memes made of him and is generally shown to be a good sport about them, even if he doesn't indulge in them.

** Bernie sitting memes[[note]]A photo of Sanders sitting during Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration wearing a thick parka and homemade mittens (knitted by one of his constituents) went viral and saw people photoshopping him into various scenes such as the [[Series/GameOfThrones the Iron Throne]] or on the bench next to ''Film/ForrestGump''[[/note]]

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Sanders has had grey hair since his thirties. In a manner much like Creator/SteveMartin, it has helped to keep his appearance consistent as he aged. Going [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vabeos-F8Kk as far back as 1992]], Sanders doesn't look that much different than he does today. Going even further back to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OraxqbUjpHw his appearance]] on ''The Today Show'' in January 1981, he only looks maybe 15 years younger, rather than 39 years younger. It has helped burnish his public image, as one can go back thirty years and still see Sanders in his familiar GrumpyOldMan persona advocating for the same policies that are key planks of his platform today. Sanders was in his mid-40s when ''Bernie Speaks with the Community'' aired, though a viewer could easily mistake him for being in his 60s.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Inverted: the hatred he's garnered from wealthy, influential magnates fills him with pride. Bernie released [[https://berniesanders.com/anti-endorsements/ a list of wealthy individuals]], mostly [=CEOs=], who hate him with a passion while listing out several of their shady financial practices. He borrows a quote from UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt, [[BadassBoast "I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made."]]

* MemeticMutation: "I am once again asking for your financial support."[[note]]Both of Sanders' presidential campaigns have been almost entirely funded by small donations from layman and -woman supporters. During the 2020 election, Sanders put out a campaign ad which showed him in the middle of a winter landscape, speaking directly to the viewer, his monologue opening with, "I am once again asking for your financial support." The image of Sanders from the ad captioned with the aforementioned quote later became a popular meme.[[/note]]

Sanders's 2016 political campaign gained massive traction among young people, and many of his notable positions, such as a 15-dollar hourly minimum wage, have become part of the Democratic Party's mainstream platform. In 2019, Sanders announced his intention to run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with his campaign drawing heavily from his strong base from the 2016 primary cycle. For a time, Bernie was seen as the frontrunner, but ultimately lost out to former Vice President UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, who became the nominee and, eventually, the President-elect after defeating incumbent UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.

* InsistentTerminology: Sanders describes himself as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism democratic socialist]], which has caused a couple of opposing reactions. More hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his actual policies are closer to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy social democracy]] (that is, a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services), while [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare his political opponents use the socialist label as a scare word to attack him.]]

** If you want to go further back, you can possibly count his appearance on ''Series/{{Today}}'' in January 1981. The story revolved around the curiosity of a self-identified socialist getting elected as mayor of a major city during the same election that made UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan president.

* InsistentTerminology: Sanders describes himself as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism democratic socialist]], which has caused a couple of opposing reactions. More hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his actual policies are closer to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy social democracy]] (that is, a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services), while [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare his political opponents describe him as a flat-out socialist, saying "socialist" as a bad word.]]

Sanders's 2016 political campaign gained massive traction among young people, and many of his notable positions, such as a 15-dollar hourly minimum wage, have become part of the Democratic Party's mainstream platform. In 2019, Sanders announced his intention to run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, with his campaign drawing heavily from his strong base from the 2016 primary cycle. After receiving stiff competition from former Vice President UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, Bernie officially withdrew from the primary in April.

* TakeAThirdOption: Save his bids for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sanders has appealed to this by running officially as an independent since 1980 ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_history_of_Bernie_Sanders he ran]] on behalf of the Liberty Union Party, a small left-wing party in Vermont, for governor and senator in the 1970s).

** If you want to go further back, you can possibly count his appearance on ''Series/T{{Today}}'' in January 1981. The story revolved around the curiosity of a self-identified socialist getting elected as mayor of a major city during the same election that made UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan president.

** If you want to go further back, you can possibly count his appearance on ''Series/TheTodayShow'' in January 1981. The story revolved around the curiosity of a self-identified socialist getting elected as mayor of a major city during the same election that made UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan president.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[CelebrityResemblance No, he's not]] [[Creator/LarryDavid Larry David.]][[note]] [[LongLostRelative They are distant cousins though.]][[/note]]]]

Bernard Sanders (born September 8, 1941), better known by his nickname Bernie, is a United States Senator from Vermont. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, he grew up in a Jewish family with his parents and his brother Larry (who moved to Britain as an adult and also became a politician). He became interested in politics at a young age, participating in the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement with none other than UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr himself. Bernie's father immigrated to the United States from what is now Poland just before the rise of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler, and much of his extended family was murdered during UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust. Sanders credits much of his early interest in politics to this: "A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932. He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, including six million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important." Sanders moved to Vermont in 1968, and his first position as an official elected member of government was as mayor of Burlington from 1981 to 1989. From there, he served as the representative of Vermont's at-large House district in the U.S. Congress starting from 1991. He was elected to his Senate seat in 2006.

Bernie Sanders gained national attention during the 2016 presidential election cycle, in which he mounted a long-shot bid for the Democratic Party nomination and gave the expected winner, former First Lady, senator, and Secretary of State UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton, an active contest, to nearly everybody's surprise.[[note]]Despite having always been elected as an Independent, Sanders caucuses with the Democrats in Congress. Nevertheless, running for the party's nomination without officially being a member of it was the subject of some controversy.[[/note]] Although he didn't win,[[note]]Some people attribute this to corruption within the Democratic National Committee, as Bernie was generally considered the more popular candidate.[[/note]] his massive grassroots campaign came very close, and his candidacy inspired other significant political figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for office. Sanders is known for his progressive, left-wing political positions. A self-described democratic socialist, he supports a single-payer health care system in the form of Medicare for All and a massive overhaul of the United States' energy economy through a Green New Deal. He is also notably critical of the United States' habit of engaging in foreign regime change, particularly during UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror, supports a two-state solution to the UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict, and has passionately fought for the rights of the UsefulNotes/LGBTCommunity since long before the topic became a mainstream issue. He also advocates for criminal justice reform, automatic voter registration, and is notably the only presidential candidate to call to abolish ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and return to the immigration enforcement system used prior to 2003 (where the responsibility was carried by several different agencies).

* AffectionateNickname: Known as "America's Dad, Bernie Sanders" by many progressive leftists, thanks to political commentator Creator/KyleKulinski coining that nickname. He's also called "America's Grandpa," and, by his Hispanic and Arab supporters, "Tío Bernie" or "Amo Bernie."[[note]] "Uncle Bernie" in Spanish and Arabic, respectively.[[/note]]

** If you want to go further back, you can possibly count his appearance on ''The Today Show'' in January 1981. The story revolved around the curiosity of a self-identified socialist getting elected as mayor of a major city during the same election that made UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan president.
* CoolOldGuy: To his supporters. There's a reason he's popular with young people despite being one of the oldest candidates running.
* CrazyPrepared: After one too many disingenuous acts of concern trolling (plus a few genuine cases of actual lack of understanding) about how he would pay for all his plans, Bernie was predictably expecting the same question yet again in a CNN town hall, except this time [[https://youtu.be/hYmlzB7AIWM?t=3m51s he brought along a receipt]] for the complete breakdown of his plans' costs and told the audience it would be up on his campaign website as well.

* HistoryRepeats: Both times Bernie has run for presidency, in 2016 and 2020, despite his apparent public support as a "revolutionary" against the establishment he's ultimately out-done by the favorite of the Democratic Party (part of that same establishment) to win (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively) before he pulls out and backs their nomination, telling his supporters to support them in defeating Donald Trump.

* InsistentTerminology: Sanders describes himself as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism democratic socialist]], which has caused a couple of opposing reactions. More hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his actual policies are closer to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_democracy social democracy]] (i.e., a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services), while [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare his political opponents describe him as a flat-out socialist and say "socialist" as a bad word.]]

* MemeticMutation: "I am once again asking for your financial support."[[note]]Both of Sanders' presidential campaigns have been almost entirely funded by small donations from layman supporters. During the 2020 election, Sanders put out a campaign ad which showed him in the middle of a winter landscape, speaking directly to the viewer, his monologue opening with, "I am once again asking for your financial support." The image of Sanders from the ad captioned with the aforementioned quote later became a popular meme.[[/note]]

* BourgeoisBohemian: He himself is relatively wealthy, being worth over $1 million dollars, and as a result he's often accused of being this by his political opponents. However, considering that his opposition is primarily against big ''corporations'', whereas he became wealthy through his senatorial salary and the sales of his books, it falls a little flat.
* CelebrityResemblance: On [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSVQoTd_sUk the July 3, 1987]] episode of ''Bernie Speaks With the Community'' a child tells Sanders that he looks like Doc Brown from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''.
* ChekhovsGunman:

* FriendToAllLivingThings: After a bird landed on his podium during a speech in his 2016 campaign, people told jokes that Mother Nature had given Bernie Sanders her support, given his strong environmentalist stance. This incident earned Bernie the nickname "Birdie Sanders."

* InsistentTerminology: Sanders describes himself as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_socialism democratic socialist]], which has caused two different reactions: More hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his policies are closer to social democracy (i.e, a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services), while ironically, [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare the "socialist" label is used by his political opponents to attack him, who describe him as a socialist, period.]]

* MemeticMutation:
** "I am once again asking for your financial support."[[note]]Both of Sanders' presidential campaigns have been almost entirely funded by small donations from layman supporters. During the 2020 election, Sanders put out a campaign ad which showed him in the middle of a winter landscape, speaking directly to the viewer, his monologue opening with, "I am once again asking for your financial support." The image of Sanders from the ad captioned with the aforementioned quote later became a popular meme.[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[CelebrityResemblance No, he's not]] [[Creator/LarryDavid Larry David]][[note]] [[LongLostRelative They are distant cousins though.]][[/note]]]]

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/220px_bernie_sanders_july_2019_cropped_3.jpg]]

* GracefulLoser: Despite ultimately conceding his bid for the Democratic nomination of the 2016 and 2020 election, he was at least a good sport about it and threw his support behind the prospective nominee (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden) who proved his victor. His detractors, however, see this as him being a DirtyCoward who for all his fire and vitriol against them ultimately bowed out to the "establishment" he fought against [[DoNotGoGentle rather than go the distance to the end]] in order to stay in the graces of the Democratic party[[note]]There is evidence to suggest that Sanders possessed enough support to have forced a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brokered_convention brokered convention]] had he stayed in the race against Biden[[/note]].

* DirtyCoward: His detractors label him as such, viewing his decision to pull out of the bid for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nominations and endorse his opposition as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the good graces of the party rather than fight to the end and prove he really was against the "establishment" he built his campaign on. Tucker Carlson of Creator/{{Fox News|Channel}} notably called Sanders "the lamest revolutionary in history" after ending his presidential campaign and endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, calling it his "capitulation" and declaring he had learned nothing from the experience with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

** NO REFUNDS![[note]]With the conceding of both of his presidential campaigns, there was a noticeable outcry from detractors and supporters alike about how all the donations made to them would not be refunded even in part with his pull-out. This particular line made the rounds in 2016, and cropped up again even harder in 2020.[[/note]]
** "I'm going to buy my third/fourth house."[[note]]Detractors of Bernie pulling out of the 2016 and 2020 campaign joke that he used the donations to fund the purchase of another private house.[[/note]]

* HistoryRepeats: Both times Bernie has run for presidency, in 2016 and 2020, despite his apparent public support as a "revolutionary" against the establishment he's ultimately out-done by the favorite of the Democratic Party to win (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively) before he pulls out and backs their nomination.

* DirtyCoward: His detractors label him as such, viewing his decision to pull out of the bid for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nominations and endorse his opposition as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the good graces of the party rather than fight to the end. Tucker Carlson of Creator/{{Fox News|Channel}} notably called Sanders "the lamest revolutionary in history" after ending his presidential campaign and endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, calling it his "capitulation" and declaring he had learned nothing from the experience with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

* GracefulLoser: Despite ultimately conceding his bid for the Democratic nomination of the 2016 and 2020 election, he was at least a good sport about it and threw his support behind the prospective nominee (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden) who proved his victor. His detractors, however, see this as him being a DirtyCoward who for all his fire and vitriol against them ultimately bowed out [[DoNotGoGentle rather than go the distance to the end]] in order to stay in the graces of the Democratic party[[note]]There is evidence to suggest that Sanders possessed enough support to have forced a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brokered_convention brokered convention]] had he stayed in the race against Biden[[/note]].

* HistoryRepeats: Both times Bernie has run for presidency, in 2016 and 2020, despite his apparent public support as a "revolutionary" he's ultimately out-done by the favorite of the Democratic Party to win (Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden respectively) before he pulls out and backs their nomination.

* ChekhovsGunman: Then a freshman senator little-known outside New England, Sanders was first introduced to a national audience in the 2009 Creator/MichaelMoore documentary ''Film/CapitalismALoveStory''. In an interview, Sanders explains his socialist philosophy and how it might help America in the wake of the Great Recession. A decade later, Sanders is one of the most famous politicians in America.

* DirtyCoward: His detractors label him as such, viewing his decision to pull out of the bid for the 2016 and 2020 Democratic nominations and endorse his opposition as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the good graces of the party rather than fight to the end. Tucker Carlson of Fox News notably called Sanders "the lamest revolutionary in history" after his capitulation to Joe Biden in 2020, declaring he had learned nothing from the experience with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

* InsistentTerminology: Although Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist, more hardline socialists [[NoTrueScotsman sometimes criticize him for this]] because his policies are closer to social democracy (i.e, a mixed economy, or capitalism with strong labor unions and extensive public services). Ironically, [[ContemptCrossfire more often]], [[RedScare the "socialist" label is used by his political opponents to attack him.]]

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Sanders has had grey hair since his thirties. In a manner much like Creator/SteveMartin, it has helped to keep his appearance consistent as he aged. Going [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vabeos-F8Kk as far back as 1992]], Sanders doesn't look that much different than he does today. Going even further back to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OraxqbUjpHw his appearance]] on ''The Today Show'' in January 1981, he only looks maybe 15 years younger, rather than 39 years younger. It has helped burnish his public image, as one can go back thirty years and still see Sanders in his familiar GrumpyOldMan persona advocating for the same policies that are key planks of his platform today.
** Sanders was in his mid-40s when ''Bernie Speaks With the Community'' aired, though a viewer could easily mistake him for being in his 60s.
* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Inverted: the hatred he's garnered from wealthy, influential magnates fills him with pride. Bernie released [[https://berniesanders.com/anti-endorsements/ a list of wealthy individuals]], mostly [=CEOs=], who hate him with a passion while listing out several of their shady financial practices. He borrows a quote from UsefulNotes/FranklinDRoosevelt, [[BadassBoast “I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made.”]]

* Is portrayed by Creator/LarryDavid on ''Saturday Night Live''
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%%As with any real-life person, especially politicians, this page is meant to assess how this person is portrayed in media, not to be the battleground for an Edit War between tropers of differing ideologies. Rule Of Cautious Editing Judgment applies - please be considerate.%%

->"I did not get into politics to figure out how to become president. I got into politics because I give a [[PrecisionFStrike damn]]."