U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders recently explained that he is still an independent, not a Democrat. See this story. The author of the article seems to think that if Sanders lived in a state with partisan registration, then he would have been forced to register as a Democrat in order to seek the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. That is not true. Political parties have a freedom of association right to nominate non-members if they wish. The Whig Party in 1840 nominated a Democrat for Vice-President. The Republican Party in 1864 nominated a Democrat for Vice-President. The Democratic Party in 1872 nominated a Republican, Horace Greeley, for President.
THe U.S. Supreme Court said in Tashjian v Republican Party of Connecticut that political parties are free to nominate non-members if they wish. When Dwight Eisenhower was nominated for President by the Republican Party in July 1952, he was not a registered voter. Thanks to Gene Berkman for the link.
Doesn’t matter; he sold out to the Twin Evils- Hillary most of all.
He is no true independent.
1864 — GOP was the National Union Party — to try and get some Donkey support in the North/West States — during the mass death and destruction in 1861-1864 in the HORRIFIC Civil War I.
In 2000, the Green Party nominated Ralph Nader, who was an independent.