Trump-Sanders 2016?

Deep in the recesses of my head I seem to recall that back in 1972, a large number of Democrats who cast their primary ballots for George Wallace then went on to cast their votes in the fall for George McGovern. How does that work, you ask? Hardly gets any more opposite ideologically than Wallace v. McGovern. True, but the mistake here is in thinking these voters cast their votes for ideological reasons. Sometimes many voters like the guy who is most disruptive of the political system. Hence, Donald Trump.

Trump remains the focus of attention right now, but has very likely reached the ceiling of his support inside the GOP of around 20 – 25 percent. It may actually be less, since as suggested above some of his support may be coming from disgusted independents and disaffected Democrats. On the other side of the aisle, Harry Entin of FiveThirtyEight suggests Bernie Sanders has peaked, too.

So how about a Trump-Sanders independent fusion ticket? This actually makes more sense than the Reform Party ticket of Pat Buchanan and Lenora Fulani in 2000. (Fulani, in case you’ve forgotten, is a left-wing loon. By the way, where is Buchanan these days? I’d expect him to be backing Trump.) But think about it. Both Trump and Sanders favor single-payer health care, and are critical of immigration. They both can pose as far outsiders against the Washington establishment. It’s easy to see them straddling social issues—maybe even foreign policy—in service of a vanity campaign.

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