The very fact that you can think of people who qualify as the new guard just tells me that Bernie has more of a legacy in place than he might think. He went from giving speeches to completely empty chambers to there being an entire ‘squad’ of politicians that share his views. That is progress. That is a major accomplishment that he should be thrilled about!
I get that people like him, and I’m sure he doesn’t feel like he’s too old, but I’m firmly of the mind that age limits in government are necessary. Being a spry 82-year-old is still being an 82-year-old. He can find a progressive millenial or gen z-er in the state of Vermont to throw his weight behind for the future. If he can’t, well frankly that’s his fault and not a valid excuse to be yet another dinosaur clinging to power.