I am most proud to be a Bernie Sanders supporter. I have been since the moment I learned he was a candidate. However, the only way Bernie could win now, barring some extraordinary event, would require the Superdelegates to override the expressed will of Democratic voters, who chose Hillary Clinton through a majority of pledged delegates and through a difference of over 3,600,000 votes. That will not, and should not happen. Some of Bernie’s most prominent supporters agree.
Bernie Sanders has vowed for months to take the Democratic primary fight all the way to the convention, regardless of the results from the final states.
Whether he’ll actually follow through on that pledge has been the source of nearly endless speculation. Sanders did not concede the nomination after suffering a string of defeats last night — Hillary Clinton declared victory after winning New Jersey — and a profile from Politico suggested he’s personally determined to contest the inevitable until the bitter end.
What could help change his mind? On Wednesday, the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent reported that two key Sanders allies — Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva — are now publicly recognizing that Sanders "would have to accept the inevitability" of Clinton’s victory now that all paths to the nomination have been sealed off…
From <Vox>
Jeff’s opinion means a lot to me, considering that I worked to get him elected. He is the only Senator that had the courage to endorse Bernie. Jeff and Raul aren’t the only ones.
One of the largest advocacy groups to endorse Bernie Sanders on Wednesday gently nudged the Vermont senator toward the exit, arguing that the Democratic nomination can’t be won on the backs of "undemocratic superdelegates."
The liberal group MoveOn.org suggested in a statement that Hillary Clinton fairly earned the Democratic nomination after Tuesday’s primaries by clinching a majority of pledged delegates.
“MoveOn members believe, as we have long advocated, that the nomination should go to the winner of the majority of pledged delegates, and that undemocratic superdelegates should not overturn the will of the voters,” MoveOn Political Action’s Executive Director, Ilya Sheyman, said in the statement.
Sanders won MoveOn’s endorsement in January with over 78 percent of the 340,665 votes cast by the group’s members…
From <TPM>
I’m a MoveOn member and supporter, and I agree.
The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur has been one of the most visible and vocal supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his bid for the Democratic nomination.
But on Tuesday night, Uygur urged Sanders to suspend his campaign in light of the fact that his rival, Hillary Clinton, has secured the delegates needed to cinch the party’s nomination.
“If I was Bernie Sanders, I would suspend the campaign,” Uygur said. “And so now Sanders supporters, before you freak out, here’s what it means. It doesn’t mean that I take all my delegates and I give them to Hillary Clinton preemptively… In this case it would be a literal suspension of the campaign. ‘I am not going to continue to run against Hillary Clinton because there aren’t any elections left other than the super delegate election at the convention. So for the moment being, I am suspending the campaign.’”
Uygur said unlike other candidates, where “suspending” a run functionally means dropping out of the race, Sanders should reserve the right to re-enter the race in case Clinton is indicted over her use of email and a private server while serving as Secretary of State…
From <Raw Story>
I can’t remember a time when Cenk was not an active member of the ABH (Anybody But Hillary) Party. This from him is a real shock.
In any case, I sincerely hope that Bernie requested Thursday’s meeting with Obama to offer his total support for putting a Democrat in the White House, even if that Democrat is Hillary.
22 Responses to “Time to Suspend”
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Sadly, I agree with your comment, Tom. 🙁
I explained on the open thread why I think it's too soo. But beyons giving my feelings there, I am not going to fight about it. I will vote blue no matter who.
Sen. Jeff Merkley:
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/06/jeff_merkley_its_time_for_bern.html
Well, a lot of his ideas are now in the party line! That accounts for a lot! He changed some things he tried to do with his campaign! That is a victory in itself. Maybe, we could have a Clinton/Sanders ticket? But Bernie, please, don't make a scene about this. That is more a GOP move. Lets keep it clean at the convention!
Stubborn, driven or not, he needs to get out of the way, for the sake of the country, for the sake of the things he, himself, values, notplay Ralph nader. I did not know of the meeting with Pres. Obama, though iI ead that he took a call from him, yesterday, I think it was. I do hope he will see reason, and suspend.
For the sake of the country he needs to impact the convention as much as possible. For a better understanding of how this part of Party politics works see this link and the links at the bottom of the page:
"Struggle Continues" Bernie Sanders California Primary Night Speech in Santa Monica, CA
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=16486
PS–around half or more of CA's votes haven't been counted yet
An unbiased view of the DEM voter suppression in CA:
http://www.gregpalast.com/california-stolen-sanders-right-nowspecial-bulletin-greg-palast/
An all text version stripped of media skew on this one:
https://ourfuture.org/20160608/clinton-makes-history-sanders-the-struggle-continues?utm_source=progressive_breakfast&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pbreak
Most take a more accurate view of the path forward compared to the media's cherry picked quotes from these two:
“It’s not a one-way street. They’re both going to have to, in effect, compromise,” Reid said in an interview Tuesday.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/next-for-democrats-a-delicate-dance-to-broker-peace-between-clinton-and-sanders/2016/06/08/34000b6c-2cbd-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html
This article is very compelling, and I agree with it. Thanks for posting.
I can compromise and go along with this, with the caveat that Bernie needs to encourage his supporters to tone down the rhetoric and stop providing Trump supporters with ammunition.
This is why I switched from Independent to Democrat. Independents have virtually no voting rights in Kentucky.
JL, Greg is an excellent propagandist, but calling it voter supression is completely unrealistic. It is the primary of the Democratic Party. People who are registered NPP (no party preference) are not Democrats and therefore do nit have the right to vote in the Democratic Party primary. Califolrnia Democrats are generous in extending the privilege to Independents to vote in their prfimary, and have set a very low bar to be granted that privilege: requesting a Democratic Crossover Ballot. Those have been the rules for years. They are well publicized. Bernie's campaign staff should have made sure that his Independent supporters knew how to get thje right ballot. That they dropped the ball is their failure, not voter suppression.
I agree with JLA. He knows he will not win the nomination, but he can impact the convention and get some progressive views included. I think we are all sick of the status quo, which is why we supported Bernie. I will, with reluctance, vote for Clinton. Better Blue any day of the week.
I'm not sure that suspend, as in "giving up" is the answer right now. As I commented in the open thread on Joannes remark, Bernie Sanders should stay in the primaries to keep both Hillary on her toes, the Democrats aware of the changes needed and the voters with a chance to show what they expect of the next Democratic president and of the party.
However Bernie Sanders should tone down his rhetoric. Sanders should be aware of the division he could create within the party if he doesn't approach the remainder of the primaries realistically. If he's getting up people's hope for the nomination and have them turning their backs on the Democratic party disillusioned when that doesn't happen, it could have the country end up worse than it was with president Drumpf.
Amen!
When I said Bernie should suspend, I had no objection to him continuing to the convention to keep moving the Democratic Party left. On reflection, I think it's a good idea, as I continue to support Bernie's dream of Social Democracy. My main concern is that a very vocal minority of Bernie extremists are acting to destroy the Democratic Party, if they can't have their way, and Bernie needs to make it clear that his plans include unification, and they don't represent his wishes.
Thanks all!! Hugs!!
Bernie is not the problem; it is, as you say, a very vocal minority of extremists acting like Trump supporters who are the problem. Not using those words, Bernie made it clear from the first moment of the first debate that his position would be vote blue, no matter who. Notice I didn't say "Bernie extremists." If they were Bernie extremists, they would work with Bernie, not against him.
Good point!!
Many Bernie supporters as well as Hillary supporters are sounding like Republicans in their rage against each other.
And for that reason, I feel like pulling my hair out!!
I am sad that Bernie will not be the nominee, but the "popular vote" must be respected. However, I think that Cent Uygur makes a valid point.
In an early article about Sanders' meeting today with Obama, the Huffington Post says:
Sanders also said
I hope the 'Bernie or bust' supporters listen and heed Bernie's committment.