Endorsing the Socialist Workers Party in the 1980s did not make someone a Communist, There is a Communist Party in the USA established in 1919. Gus Hall was the Communist Party candidate for President in 1980 and 84 with Angela Davis as his running mate. No one cares what the SWP advocated in 1918, none of us including Sanders were alive then,
In 1973, at an age subject to the draft I was faced with a choice between a Hawk Democratic Congressman up for perennial reelection and a farther right wing Republican opponent or Joelle Fishman the Communist Party candidate. I and many similar aged draftable friends voted Communist as a protest against the major party candidates’ view on the war, We didn’t support Communisn and knew she had no chance of winning. Congressman Giamo won reelection and ended up serving 10 terms before he retired.
My vote for Fishman did not make me a Communist.