Another presidential candidate is throwing his hat into the Democratic side of the ring today. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will announce his plans to run for president, making him the second person to wade into the fray on the Democratic side.

Sanders, a self-described socialist, plans to put out a short statement tomorrow about his intentions, and will officially kick off his campaign in Vermont in a few weeks. While he won’t be able to compete dollar-for-dollar with Hillary Clinton’s campaign, his entrance into the race may be more symbolic than realistic. The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza argues in a recent post on his blog “The Fix” that Sanders isn’t focused on about winning, but influencing the conversation among Democratic candidates, and to push Clinton and any others that may come further to the left on important issues like trade and campaign finance.

What do you think of Bernie Sanders as a presidential candidate? Do you think he’s trying to shift the other candidates farther to the left? Will Sanders garner votes from Democrats who don’t think Hillary is left enough but want to send a message with their vote?

Guest:

Ron Fournier, senior political columnist and editorial director of National Journal