Bernie Sanders, in an effort to deflect the attention away from himself, jokingly announced Stephen Colbert as his 2020 election running mate on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!

That’s right – Bernie Sanders, a regular guest of Stephen’s on The Late Show, was grilled like a portobello on whether or not he was running in 2020.

Naturally Sanders didn’t give a hard answer (or any answer to the direct question, really). He probably hasn’t decided yet, and even if he has, now is not the time, nor is The Late Show necessarily the place to do it (it’s not not the place, but it might take a while for most politicians to realize that).

What’s significant about his response, however, is his immediate jump to “whoever’s got the best chance” – naming the heavy Democrat hitters Beto O’Rourke, Elizabeth Warren and Corey Booker as possibly better candidates than him. Maybe it’s an indicator on the inner workings of the Democratic party, that they’re really going to pull it together after the recent midterm election sweep.

Speaking of, Sanders was particularly talkative about the recent midterms. He was giddy as he’ll ever get as he said “This election is about [Trump]. It was. He lost. That’s a good thing.”

It’s worth mentioning that Sanders has historically been an independent Senator, not affiliated with any political party – it wasn’t until he decided to run for President that he joined the Democratic party (and left soon after not winning the nomination). So at times like this, when he’s cheering on a political party that he has in the past fought against, it’s good to know Sanders is thinking big picture.

And, speaking of big picture, Sanders had a lot to say on global warming. With the recent announcement that we have only 12 years to change the way we do just about everything, in terms of energy consumption and methods, before we do irreparable damage to the earth, Sanders is out in full force to make sure that we figure our stuff out in time.

Typically a loud disheveled man yelling about the end of the world is handed a pocketful of change and everyone moves on. But Sanders knows what he’s talking about it – he’s been on about climate change since before Al Gore made it cool. People listen to Sanders – he has the respect of many his fellow Senators, including a few Republicans. Regardless of whether or not Sanders is going to run for President, he is and will be a significant force in US legislation.

And since there are growing concerns over America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia, and President Trump’s refusal to mess with the status quo, Sanders is using his growing popularity among his peers to do something about it.

Bernie Sanders has a gift at rallying people and bringing the good out of them. He’d make a fine President, but even if he doesn’t run, he may still be among the most influential and important Senators out there.

Catch more of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airing weeknights at 11.35 et/pt on Global, and watch the latest episodes online here on GlobalTV.com!