Yes, I would argue that Bernie's excellent career lent him an air of credibility that other politicians just don't have. But the discussion was about whether online popularity translates to real life, and I'd argue that it certainly didn't for the Bernie candidacy at least not enough to win.
Online is just another component in the political game. We saw all this nonsense in 2024 yet again. I'm kicking myself for having fallen for all these pollsters, some of which have had an impeccable perfect record for decades and yet still managed to get it wrong this time around.