Bernie filled stadiums. Much as I like Hillary, she just wasn't an exciting candidate.

[Yo_Mama]

50. It's not that Hillary wasn't an exciting candidate, it's that Bernie was speaking to people's hearts

Issues in 2016 to many voters were:

Corporatism - the perception that both top Dems and top Republicans in Congress are paid off by corporate lobbyists and do their bidding. Take just the issue of pharmaceutical prices - this is not a conspiracy theory. Voters are correct about this in many instances. Bernie spoke to the corporate domination of our domestic politics with passion and with considerable truth, and that excited voters. H1B visas and uncontrolled immigration causing low wages are included. Generic medications going up 500, 1000 percent in a few years.

Bad government - links up with corporatism, and this is a terrible worry for the most vulnerable among us.

Too many wars overseas. Americans don't like them; it seems neverending.

PPACA (Obamacare) - it's not that Americans don't think insurance/medical care reform is needed, it's just that PPACA harmed at least as many as it helped, and now that the insurance situation is degenerating in many states, this feeds back into the perception that the corporations are controlling the process. In some areas every policy is a shitty narrow-network one. The deductibles are too high and prevent many from accessing medical care. Insurance companies are among the least-loved corporate entities in our society, and our government has created a situation in which they have a monopoly in many areas with no effective checks or curbs upon their misdeeds.

Basic economic security - protecting the social benefit network. Too many are falling through the cracks.

Voters did not find Hillary nearly as believable on these topics as the "outsiders". Sanders was credible through and through.