Why would a moderate like a socialist candidate?

I like Bernie Sanders.  No, I didn't suddenly become a socialist, or at the very least a liberal.  I still find liberals as annoying as I do conservatives.  Then why do I like Bernie Sanders, you might ask?

1. Bernie Sanders is annoying both parties.  It's obvious that the Republicans don't like him.  He is a socialist.  Also, their campaign against the Democrats has been aimed at Hillary Clinton, much as their campaign in the 2008 election was, which is part of what allowed Barack Obama's campaign to do so well.  They do not want Sanders to be another Obama.  The Democrat establishment have thrown their support behind Hilary Clinton, and have been desperately trying to get Vice President Joe Biden to run as well, in case Hilary cannot win.  As a moderate, I have been taking great delight in watching how uncomfortable Bernie is making them all.
2. Bernie is nice even when it might be more politically expedient to not be.  I did not watch the Democratic debate,* but I did see clips of it later.  People might like to joke about an "old guy who doesn't want to hear any more about emails," but it would have been more politically expedient to either not mention the email scandal at all, or to use it against Hilary.  After all, she is his only (at this time, at least) serious competition for the Democratic ticket.  There is also the incident with the Black Lives Matter movement.  They interrupt his rally, and his response is to invite them to speak.  Sure, one could argue that he was trying to win their votes, but when has a political candidate ever invited hecklers to speak their piece at his podium?
3. He is an outsider.  Mr. Sanders is registered as a Democrat now, but that is just so he can run for President on a major party ticket (and let's face it- a socialist stands a better chance on the Democratic side than the Republican side).  He has spent the rest of his career as an Independent.

Should we be afraid that he is going to turn our country into a socialist one?  People seem to forget that the President has significantly less power than we give him (or perhaps, someday, her) credit for, as our government was set up with checks and balances.  Certainly, some of those checks and balances have changed since the beginning of our country, but the President still can't do whatever he wants, regardless of what Congress and talking heads claim.  Congress cannot stop everything, of course, as they do not have unlimited power either, but they have more power to influence things than they sometimes let on.

Bernie Sanders would certainly shake things up in Washington.  That is something most of us moderates would love to see.

*I do not watch political debates.  I could not even bring myself to watch the Free and Equal debate last presidential election cycle, and it is the only one I can get somewhat excited about.

Who really chooses the Republican nominee?

People usually blame the news media for picking the party candidates, especially since one candidate emerges as the candidate before all the states have voted in the primaries.  I, however, think that it may be our culture that is to blame.  How many are saying that if Mitt Romney wins the South Carolina nomination, the Republican party should rally behind him, making him the Republican candidate when South Carolina is only third out of 50 states to have their primary election? 

The very fact that all of the states have their primaries at different times seems to encourage this crowning of a winner before most members of the party (and in some states, most voters regardless of party) have even gone to the polls.  It would make so much more sense to hold the primaries all at once, but there is no question of changing to that.  The only changes in when state primaries are held are changes that attempt to place a state's primary ahead of the others.

It is not as though the news media is not contributing to this mess.  How many small budget Republican candidates are being completely ignored, like Buddy Roemer?  Ron Paul came in third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, yet he is still barely mentioned.  When he is, it is almost in passing, and as though his only supporters are some far out extremists-- yes, because there are enough extremists in three states to get him third and second place.  When he is focused on, it is usually with derision.  Mitt Romney is cast as a "moderate," a title I am not all that sure he deserves.  He is also cast as the candidate best suited to beat Obama in the general election.

This is the key.  The candidate best suited to beat the other party's candidate is the one the party wants.  It doesn't matter if the candidate is the best for the job, or will do what is right for the country, or will stick to his principles unless compromise is what is best for the country.  What matters is if he can beat the other side's guy.

So if Mitt Romney becomes the Republican candidate after only three primaries, before you get to vote, don't blame the media, even though they played their part.  Blame the Republican party, who just like the Democrats, don't care what you think.  They only care if they can win.