Bernie's Bitter End? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Bernie's Bitter End?

The Sanders campaign is over, but its impact has yet to be decided.

9
Bernie's Bitter End?
The New Yorker

On June 6, Hillary Clinton became the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party, surpassing the 2,383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

To most people ardently following politics, it was hardly a surprise. Clinton had held the delegate lead from the very beginning and despite almost sweeping the plain states Bernie Sanders could never surpass her. From the very beginning, it was Clinton’s to win and she did so decisively.

Even though Clinton is walking away with the nomination, Sanders ran an admirable campaign. When Sanders joined the race, he was seen as a fringe candidate. Most thought that a self-identified Democratic Socialist had no shot at garnering support. He was too far left of center, and began the race polling in the single digits. The fact that he made it this far is surprising, and actually incredibly impressive.

After Clinton won the nomination, Sanders had a chance to end his campaign with his head held high. He could have left with an impressive legacy for his campaign, successfully implementing his agenda into the Democratic platform and pushing Clinton further and further left. Finally, the Democratic Party had to take Sanders and his policies seriously.

However, Sanders damaged his legacy when he didn’t drop out of the Democratic race after Clinton became the presumptive nominee.

Let me continue by saying that in no way is this a pro-Hillary article, but no matter what your views are, the day Clinton became the Democratic nominee was historic. It was monumental that after over almost 250 years into our country’s history, we finally had a female nominee for President. It was a historic event that Sanders simply ignored.

Over the past month, Sanders has become his worst supporters in an attempt to revitalize his campaign and pull off an impossible comeback. He went from starting a “political revolution” to complaining about the smallest details of the election cycle.

One of Sanders most popular complaints was that the system is rigged for Clinton, but the math just doesn’t add up. Under any system imaginable, Clinton would have the delegate lead. Under the current system, she has the nomination. Without super delegates, she still has a 250 delegate lead. If every state gave out delegates proportionally, she would be up by 400. If every state were winner-take-all, she would have a 1,200 delegate lead, and under the GOP rules she would be winning by 1,000. There is simply no math to put Sanders ahead of Clinton. The only possible way to do this would be to gain an overwhelming majority of super delegates, and even if this happened, Sanders would be winning in a way that he described as undemocratic.

There has also been much talk about closed primaries, and how this is unfair to the Sanders campaign. To me, this seems ridiculous. How is it controversial that registered Democrats get to decide the Democratic nominee? Opening the primaries can cause Independents or even Republicans to skew the results.

Many Sanders supporters also claim that the elections were unfair, and that Sanders isn’t doing well because the elections were rigged. This is absurd. Even if the elections favored Clinton, (which is a wild assumption) there is no way that any voting changes could seriously affect the election. Clinton won the popular vote by over 3.7 million, and even generous counts could mean maybe 10,000 more votes in Sanders' direction.

Quite simply, Sanders lost. And his inability to admit that has made him something that you never want to be in politics, a sore loser.

The best thing that Sanders could do would be dropping out of the race and endorsing Clinton. Even though his fan base demonizes her, they must realize that it’s her, or Donald Trump. The sooner he endorses Hillary, the better chance she has in November.

Despite his loss in the primary election, Sanders' story is not over. He could choose to keep going down this bitter path of denial, holding on strongly to the little hope he has left, or he could help Clinton lead the fight against Trump and impact the Democratic platform for years to come. Unfortunately for Democrats, I do not know what he will choose.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

A Few Thoughts Every College Freshman Has

The transition into adulthood is never easy

14879
Mays Island
Courtney Jones

Today I started my third week of college at Minnesota State Moorhead. I have survived welcome week, finding my classes on the first day, and being an awkward loner in the dining hall. Even though I have yet to be here for a month, I have already experienced many thoughts and problems that only a new college student can relate to.

Keep Reading...Show less
Students walking on a sunny college campus with trees and buildings.

"Make sure to get involved when you're in college!"

We've all heard some variation of this phrase, whether it came from parents, other family members, friends, RAs, or college-related articles. And, like many clichés, it's true for the most part. Getting involved during your college years can help you make friends, build your resume, and feel connected to your campus. However, these commitments can get stressful if you're dealing with personal issues, need to work, or aren't sure how to balance classes and everything else going on during the semester.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

9 Reasons Why Friends Are Essential In College

College without friends is like peanut butter without jelly.

6456
Bridgaline Liberati and friends
Bridgaline Liberati

In college, one of the essential things to have is friends. Yes, textbooks, a laptop, and other school supplies are important but friends are essential. Friends are that support system everybody needs. The more friends you have the better the support system you have. But you also have someone to share experiences with. And don’t settle for just one or two friends because 8 out of 10 times they are busy and you are studying all alone. Or they have other friend groups that do not include you. Don’t settle for just one or two friends; make as many friends as you can. After the first couple of weeks of college, most friend groups are set and you may be without friends.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Power of Dressing Up

Why it pays to leave the hoodie at home.

4772
sneakers and heels
Sister | Brother Style - Word Press

For a moment your world is spinning. The phone alarm has just scared you awake and you’re flooded by daunting thoughts of the day ahead. You have three assignments due and little time to work on them because of your job. You’re running late because you’ve hit snooze one to many times after yesterday’s long hours. You dizzily reach for a hoodie, craving its comfort, and rush for a speedy exit, praying you will have time to pick up coffee. Does this sound familiar?

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

11 Signs You Live At The Library As Told by 'Parks And Recreation'

A few signs that you may live in the library whether you'd like to admit it or not.

4203
brown wooden book shelves with books

Finals week is upon us. It is a magical time of year during which college students everywhere flock to the library in attempt to learn a semester's worth of knowledge in only a week. For some students, it's their first time in the library all semester, maybe ever. Others have slaved away many nights under the fluorescent lights, and are slightly annoyed to find their study space being invaded by amateurs. While these newbies wander aimlessly around the first floor, hopelessly trying to find a table, the OGs of the library are already on the third floor long tables deep into their studies. Here is a few signs that you may live in the library, whether you'd like to admit it or not.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments