I've said many times I think Bernie will be the hardest one to beat. I'm not sure why the Rs are cheering him on, hoping to face him. They seem to think that (rightfully) calling him a Socialist, or even a Communist will hurt him, but I don't think those labels have such a negative connotation with a vast majority, for the reasons you state.
Plus, Bernie believes his own crap & spews it with sincerity. The clips from 60 Minutes last night, he didn't answer any question about how he was going to pay for it & praised Fidel Castro. He can rationalize being a Communist,. He has energy & can excite a crowd with his rhetoric. Also, he is feisty & won't roll over like other candidates when Trump hits him.
As a matter of fact, I caught a caller into Rush this morning & she was saying that here middle-aged friends were Dims (like her), and they were not for Bernie at first, but were warming up to him & rationalizing why they could vote for him.
Look at all the dictators. They got to be dictators because they could rally a movement. It wasn't until they were in office that people realized their mistake.
I see Bernie in a similar position as Trump in 2016, in that he is running as an outsider, calling out the Dim elites & media. He is pitting the ordinary guy against the "rich", much as Trump took on the Deep State & the DC swamp.
I agree. I, too, think Bernie is not the guy we want to run against.
Ditto that.