^^^

The only thing scarier than Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination and getting a shot at the Presidency, is a hard leftist like Sanders winning the Democratic nomination and giving Trump an even better chance. All this talk about Trump beating Rubio and Bush, and then Clinton after that, but I don't remember anyone really talking about Trump v. Sanders. It's not a match-up that gives me hope.

Everything I've seen suggests Sanders would smash Trump in the General. I'll try and find the poll.

Despite what the polls may say, I think Trump would make short work of Sanders. If you look at how he demolished Bush and virtually every other candidate he's gone after so far, I think Sanders would end up getting decimated...I of course could be totally wrong.

Hillary is a harder target though due to her gender, Trump would have to be very careful as not to look sexist...a hard thing for him to do.

As for a Sanders presidency, I don't think it would be as bad as one might think, but inevitably I think he would raise taxes not only on the rich but the middle and working class as well.

He would probably engage in a large scale Keynesian stimulus, that could result in an economic boom, or fall flat on its face like Japan. I'm not an economist so it's hard to say.

His economic inspiration is Denmark, so you might want to look at their gdp growth rates.

I think what's hugely overshadowing any of this is the movement against establishment politics right now, on both sides of the aisle (which is why Sanders and Trump are even electable). Many people would prefer Trump to Clinton simply because he's a Washington outsider.

Kyle nails is

Call me cynical, but I'm highly dubious of the objectivity of people talking about the viability of a candidate who they are openly and vehemently stumping for.

Was there any attempt at being objective? It certainly wasn't me.

Lol, we've got a couple of true believers on here.

I'm of the general opinion that it's not a good sign when the hard left or right (Sanders/Trump) begin to ascend to power.

We've just come out of the worst recession since the great depression, and only escaped the 1930's by a thread, due to some fast thinking on part of the federal reserve.

Issues like free trade & immigration are important ones, but what the US really needs right now, is a conservative candidate to properly steer the US economy back to the good ole gdp growth rates of the 90's.

In short, when the US economy roars so does Canada's, Mexico's and the rest of the western world.

There has been talk within Republican circles that they need to abandon the polices of Reagan and Bush for a return to those of Nixon and Eisenhower, in order to keep their working class base happy. Whether this compromise happens or not, only time will tell.

Lol if Sanders isn't a hard leftist than Trump isn't a hard rightist. Sanders is on par with Jeremy Corbyn and is definitely to the left of Hollande. That is hard left by modern standards...but hey don't get me wrong, I quite like him, the US could use a good dose of Sanders to clean up the lobbyism in Washington.

Trump isn't a hard rightist, he's a hard self-centrist.