Convention Insider: Bernie Sanders Is in on the Joke

A remarkable sighting has been reported on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Not Beyoncé. Not Taylor Swift.

It’s Bernie Sanders, laughing.

No, the notoriously curmudgeonly independent senator from Vermont has not been fully overcome by the theme of “joy” suffusing the proceedings: After all, he delivered a prime-time address on Tuesday night without once cracking a smile.

And it’s not that America is doing great. He will assure you, it is not.

But, in smaller forums and private conversations, Mr. Sanders, 82, exudes something like optimism about the future of the progressive movement he has nurtured for his entire career, and maybe a sense of vindication that the Democratic Party, as he sees it, has finally recognized that many progressive causes are broadly popular with Americans.

“If you want to win an election, if you were a total phony and you didn’t believe in anything, you would adopt much of the progressive agenda,” Mr. Sanders said in an interview on Wednesday.

A perpetual outsider, Mr. Sanders and his movement have been brought into the fold, an elder statesman who has helped steer some of the more progressive elements of President Biden’s agenda. He has, in the past, showcased his wry sense of humor on the campaign trail; but the latest developments seem to have made him almost playful, even with reporters.

Asked last week by a New York Times reporter about when he would be speaking in Chicago, Mr. Sanders said: “They decided to bump Kamala Harris. I’ll be speaking prime-time on Thursday night. You got the scoop.” Then, he added: “That’s a joke.”