Nobody knew Senator Bernie Sanders when he launched his first presidential campaign. He ended his second presidential campaign on Wednesday, only it wasn’t just a presidential campaign anymore- it was a movement that has significantly changed American politics.

Sanders refused to fully embraced the Democratic Party, even as he campaigned for its presidential nomination. But many in the party have largely embraced his ideas.

However,  it is evident now that the political movement he inspired outperformed his campaigns.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joked on CNN that you could fill a “thesis” trying to figure out why this happened.

“The electorate is quite willing to support so-called ‘radical’ policies when they are properly framed and explained; there is enormous potency in movement candidacies; intersectionality is only going to get more important as the electorate diversifies; we can and should lean into building stronger, broader multiracial and intergenerational coalitions.”

She concluded: “Who the candidate is and when they’re running shapes all of that.”

 An anonymous source close to the campaign, after an underwhelming showing on Super Tuesday, boiled over in frustration at Sanders’ stubborn reluctance to step out of his comfort zone and attempt to convince potential allies.

“I think a big part of what it could be doing, that he’s not doing, is leaning into a lot of the stuff that makes him uncomfortable, which is obviously media and politics. There’s a rejection of doing, the typical political game. Calling people, doing the work that needs to be done to get endorsements, to get momentum,” the source said. “We need more people involved. We need more people to feel connected to this thing.”

When asked by Rachel Maddow from MSNBC, as to why he did not even attempt to court Jim Clyburn for his endorsement, which experts suggest, won the primary for Biden. Sanders suggested it would have been a futile effort.

“Jim is a very nice guy, I like him and respect him — his politics are not my politics,” Sanders said. “And I respect him, but there’s no way in God’s earth he was going to be endorsing me.”