Image courtesy of [Ted Eytan via Flickr]
Elections
Bernie Sanders Officially Endorses Hillary Clinton
He remained committed to his own campaign as long as he could. But on Tuesday morning, in front of a packed high school auditorium in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Bernie Sanders finally budged, endorsing Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential nominee.
“This campaign is about the needs of the American people and addressing the very serious crises that we face, and there is no doubt in my mind that, as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that,” said the 75-year-old Vermont senator, who electrified the progressive wing of the Democratic Party during his campaign.
Sanders represents the final–and perhaps most coveted–endorsement of the former secretary of state from key liberal figures. President Obama endorsed Clinton in June, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), another progressive stalwart, followed a few weeks later, stoking rumors of an all-female Democratic ticket.
#BernieSanders just endorsed #Clinton, did she blackmail him or threaten his life? Either way this is bad for the world.
— Partisangirl (@Partisangirl) July 12, 2016
And although his presidential hopes are all but officially dashed (the Democratic National Convention in less than two weeks will likely be the final blow), Sanders has his thumbprints all over the party’s platform, which was released as a draft on July 1. At Tuesday’s rally, Clinton touched on points likely to go over well with Sanders supporters, a cohort that has proved difficult to attract to her side.
She was steadfast in her opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that she has supported in the past. She spoke on raising the minimum wage, as well as shaking up the way political campaigns are financed. All of the aforementioned issues were touchstones of the Sanders campaign. “These aren’t just my fights. These are Bernie’s fights. These are America’s fights,” she said. Sanders was hopeful that the party’s platform will get pushed through a White House and Congress dominated by Democrats. He said: “Our job now is to see that platform implemented by a Democratically controlled Senate, a Democratically controlled House and a Hillary Clinton presidency – and I am going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
I am somewhat surprised that Bernie Sanders was not true to himself and his supporters. They are not happy that he is selling out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2016
And indeed, the sea of Clinton supporters at the Portsmouth rally was punctuated by Sanders supporters who remained by his side, even as he embraced the candidate that they vehemently booed. According to a recent Reuters poll, Sanders supporters might not budge simply because Clinton increasingly absorbs his talking points. The poll found that only 40 percent of Sanders supporters signaled that they plan to back Clinton in November.
Donald Trump, Clinton’s counterpart on the Republican side, jumped on Tuesday’s endorsement as an opportunity to court disillusioned Sanders supporters. He tweeted before and after the rally, and released a statement on his website, saying: “Bernie’s endorsement becomes Exhibit A in our rigged system – the Democrat Party is disenfranchising its voters to benefit the select and privileged few.”
To all the Bernie voters who want to stop bad trade deals & global special interests, we welcome you with open arms. People first.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2016
Trump wasn’t the only opportunist after the endorsement. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein, both third party possibilities, criticized Sanders and called on his supporters to join their campaigns. But a unified party finally emerged on Tuesday, as Sanders and Clinton clasped hands and raised them in the sky in a show of unity. “I can’t help but reflect on how much more enjoyable this election will be now that we are on the same side,” Clinton said.
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