Local Roots and "Cuddly Socialism": A Review of Dan Chiasson’s New Bernie Sanders Biography

Sanders declined to be interviewed for the book. As a result, Chiasson instead relied on “hundreds of hours of conversation” with others, including Bernie’s brother, Larry.

In a newly published review, the Wall Street Journal gives high marks to a fresh exploration of Vermont’s most famous political figure. The book, “Bernie for Burlington: The Rise of the People’s Politician,” written by Dan Chiasson, moves away from the national spotlight of Washington to focus on the formative, often radical years of Sanders’s early life and his tenure as mayor of the Queen City.

From Brooklyn to the Green Mountains

The biography, penned by a poet and Wellesley College professor who grew up in Burlington, traces Sanders’s journey from a “drab” childhood in Brooklyn to the “green, clean, and wide open” landscape of Vermont. According to the Wall Street Journal, Sanders’s fascination with the state began at age 13, following a visit to a Vermont Information Center in Manhattan that smelled of woodsmoke and maple syrup.

After moving to rural Vermont in 1968 at age 27, Sanders initially struggled to find his footing. His 1972 gubernatorial run under the Liberty Union Party banner netted just 1.1% of the vote. However, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, Sanders noticed his support was significantly higher in Burlington’s working-class neighborhoods than in rural areas—a realization that shifted his political focus toward the city.

The Rise of the “Cuddly Socialist”

Chiasson’s book focuses heavily on the years 1981 to 1989, a period he describes as a “very unusual American experiment” or “cuddly socialism.” The Wall Street Journal highlights that during this era, Sanders managed a unique balancing act: while he traveled to Nicaragua to meet with Sandinistas, he also maintained the support of local small businesses, the police union, and the National Rifle Association.

The narrative reveals a man who was “sui generis”—one of a kind—and distinct from modern progressives. Before his 10-vote victory in the 1981 mayoral race, Sanders lived a scrappy existence, working as a carpenter and a journalist for the Vermont Freeman. His writing at the time was described by the Wall Street Journal as “darkly eloquent,” often reflecting the financial and emotional hardships his parents faced.

An “Excavation” Without the Subject

Interestingly, Sanders declined to be interviewed for the book. Chiasson instead relied on “hundreds of hours of conversation” with others, including Bernie’s brother, Larry, and extensive research at the University of Vermont mayoral archives. The Wall Street Journal characterizes the work not as a standard biography, but as an “excavation” of a radical man’s life.

While Chiasson admits to an admiring perspective, the Wall Street Journal clarifies that the book is not a hagiography. The author includes Sanders’s “political stunts and character flaws,” as well as the perspective of Burlington residents—like Chiasson’s own grandparents—who viewed the rising politician as a threat to traditional American values.

What Happens Next

With the release of “Bernie for Burlington,” readers and historians gain a deeper look into the local origin story that preceded Sanders’s decades in the House and Senate. As the book hits shelves, it invites a re-examination of how a Brooklyn-born “arriviste” transformed Burlington’s political landscape. Whether this “cuddly socialism” serves as a blueprint or a cautionary tale remains a subject of debate for Vermonters and national observers alike.

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