Okay. So enough with the Bernie Sanders show already.
Full disclosure. I voted for Sanders in the Wisconsin primary, and I’ve been highly critical of Hillary Clinton. She’s the epitome of an establishment politician in a year when the masses seem ready to overthrow the establishment altogether.
But look, Clinton has won the Democratic nomination fair and square. She won a clear majority of total votes and pledged delegates, never mind her overwhelming support from the establishment insiders who are the super delegates. Sure, I wish the Democrats were nominating someone less tied to Wall Street, more unconventional in her language and approach and more bold on the issues. But Clinton is the only thing that stands between us and The President Donald. Moreover, if her track record means anything, she’s likely to wind up being a fine and respected chief executive.
Yet Sanders stubbornly stays in the race, vowing to fight to win over super delegates, which is a little like going into Chicago wearing a cheese head to win over Bears fans for the Packers. Good luck with that.
I suppose Sanders just understands that the moment he leaves the stage he will become irrelevant. The bright lights won’t dim slowly; they’ll be cut off immediately. He’ll be out of the public consciousness by the next morning. Just ask Ted Cruz or Jeb Bush.
But a worse fate is to become the Ralph Nader of 2016. Some fear that if Sanders stays in too long or doesn’t unite behind Clinton with enough enthusiasm, he could be responsible for losing the race to Trump.
I used to share that concern, but at least at the moment I don’t think that will happen. That’s because Trump is Clinton’s best weapon. He reliably says things that are so offensive and so outrageous that he will drive Sanders’ supporters into her camp — even ones that vow today that they’ll never vote for her.
Moreover, Sanders’ supporters are the kind of folks who are less likely to be influenced by what their candidate says he wants them to do. These are people who were attracted to the cause, to a set of ideas and not so much to an individual.
So, at this point anyway, I hope that Sanders comes around to strong support for Clinton not so much because Clinton really needs it, but because Sanders and his cause do.
Bernie Sanders has made an important contribution to American politics: He has demonstrated that a full-throated, unapologetic liberal voice won’t be ignored and shut down. At 74, he’s not likely to get another chance to take this ride again, so the best thing he can do for the causes he believes in is to develop a bench of candidates for offices at all levels that share his passion.
Sanders’ best chance for political longevity — if not immortality — lies not in forging ahead with this quixotic campaign or pursuing a conventional strategy of forming some sort of political action committee or institute. The answer is in people — candidates at all levels within the Democratic Party who will take up his unapologetic advocacy for a liberal vision.
And, it turns out, that’s exactly what he’s doing with a project called Brand New Congress. The idea is to move the Democratic Party left by running Bernie-like candidates in each congressional district in 2018. Now, I think they’d be wasting their time and resources if they took on solid liberals like Mark Pocan, but the basic idea is a great one.
Like Paul Ryan facing the question of supporting Donald Trump, Sanders has been dealt a chance at being a historical figure. Ryan blew his chance by supporting Trump. Will Sanders squander his chance by not supporting Clinton?
