we're not talking about "socialism" in the sense that the second-red-scare / neo-macarthyism makes it out to be. Sanders isn't the "nightmare scenario" that right-wing media connotes with this word.
the leaders of dozens of European countries with social democracies don't stay in power by virtue of the military. they get voted in, and re-elected, because a democracy that primarily concerns itself with social justice and distributing the taxed wealth of it's citizenship back among it's citizenship has merits. Sanders didn't get to be the senator from Vermont because of the Vermont militia. he got voted in. and re-elected. and nationally, he's actually pretty popular, across party lines, and especially among youth and minorities -- people who aren't likely to have been propagandized by Fox or MSNBC.
i care about him, because if there is any "anti-establishment" candidate who has a chance of winning at all, it's him.
IMHO, the thing that tears the country apart is ignorance, deception and propaganda (i'm looking at you, FoxNews), and the politics of hate & fear (i'm looking at you, Beck, Imus, Trump & Limbaugh). a government that serves it's people instead of itself doesn't "tear the country apart" -- and that's what social democracy is. you may have to set aside the mistaken idea that christian = republican, and all the association of certain words with hatred & fear that right-wing pundits have drilled into you to see it.
i care because when i look at American politics, it seems pretty clear to me that the right-wing has been gaming & playing Christians since at least the early 90's, and a whole lot of us have bought it hook, line and sinker, and sold our votes without any question.