Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is 72-years-old and an avowed socialist who doesn’t even formally identify as a Democrat.

But he’s signaled that he may just be willing to run for president in 2016 if the field lacks a progressive voice.

If Hillary Clinton decides to embrace the policy menu of liberals, Sanders would likely render his own candidacy unnecessary.

The important qualifier there, though, is “if.”

“I don’t wake up every morning saying, ‘Oh my goodness, I really want to be president,’ ” Sanders, who calls himself a democratic socialist, said in an interview. “But somebody’s got to be out there, and if nobody is, I’ll do it.”

If nothing else, Sanders would make for rich and vibrant copy and his forceful, cantankerous manner would command media attention.

But many of these early warnings from the left may be more about planting a flag than prepping for a real campaign.

And it will be difficult to measure the seriousness of such promises until Clinton addresses her positions on some their most treasured issues like Social Security, economic inequality and Wall Street regulation.

Follow Dave’s blog at TheRun2016.com