Here's the big difference between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump

Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are not two sides of the same "anti-establishment" coin. There are two very different political rebellions going on.

The Outsiders
(Image credit: Getty Images, AP Photo)

Tuesday's New Hampshire primary represented about as emphatic a rejection as you could imagine of that imposing monolith we've been calling "the establishment." Bernie Sanders certainly felt it. "The people of New Hampshire have sent a profound message to the political establishment, to the economic establishment, and by the way, to the media establishment," he said. "The people want real change." On the Republican side, you could almost hear the establishment whimpering sadly as the possibility of Donald Trump being their nominee became even more real.

But we shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that Sanders' and Trump's success — whether temporary or not — represents two sides of the same coin, a single phenomenon manifesting itself simultaneously in both parties.

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Paul Waldman

Paul Waldman is a senior writer with The American Prospect magazine and a blogger for The Washington Post. His writing has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and web sites, and he is the author or co-author of four books on media and politics.