[quote=@Vilageidiotx] Has there even really been a Sanders equivalent after McGovern? I mean, one that was making real numbers, not Kucinich or anybody like that in the little leagues. It seems like milquetoast liberal has been the norm for the Democrats for a generation or two. [/quote] Hearing what sort of platform Edwards was going on and some of the campaign promises he made in '04 ("Free college for all!") he comes off in that respect as a proto-Bernie with all of his promises to end elitism in Washington, while unironically being elite himself (as the author, Andrew Young contends when he drove him out to donor's places and if they lived in a gated community Edwards would ask, "How rich are these people now, rich like me or way richer?") He tried to get off on a "populist" platform and when he failed, and Kerry failed with him on the VP ticket he sort of stuck to it, but the issues then seemed to focus more on Iraq than the post-Occupy field on the left; as I recall too being a half-aware Middle Schooler at the time. Also of interesting note: among Edward's camp was a lawyer named Bird/Byrd/whatever, I think his first name was John. But at one point Young was detailing a celebration party they were at where the lawyer Bird stepped out to go to his room to lay down to sleep. Eventually Young and Edwards follow him up and try to get into his room and spend half an hour knocking on the door. But Young dropped a quote from Edwards at the time: "Let's go get the Bird Man". tfw Byrd's in a non-fiction book detailing a campaign worker's trails and tribulations with the tabloid-tier meltdown and collapse of a man Democrats were calling their Rising Star pre-Obama.