Bernie Sanders has brought passion and vision to his quest for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, opening the eyes of many Americans on both sides of the political aisle to the corrupting influence of big money in politics, the possibility of building a campaign from the grassroots up and the promise of unconventional approaches to improving the lives of many of our citizens.
The Recorder was one of the few newspapers to endorse Sanders in the presidential primary, and Pioneer Valley voters gave him a victory in many precincts here on Super Tuesday three months ago. But the time has come for the independent senator from Vermont to put aside his personal ambitions and put his effort toward defeating Donald Trump, knowing he won’t be the Democrats’ standard-bearer this fall.
With California and New Jersey decisively choosing Hillary Clinton in Tuesday’s primaries, Sanders will come in second place no matter how he might try to parse the delegate count or sway the upcoming Democratic convention.
Set aside for a moment the super-delegates among whom Clinton has an overwhelming total of 571-48 lead. A majority of the pledged delegates, who are allocated proportionally according to the voting in primaries and caucuses, back the former secretary of state.
We recognize that Sanders has said he is going to soldier on, through next week’s final primary in Washington, D.C., to the convention to follow in Philadelphia. He should continue to push for policy that benefits all Americans, including economic and social justice, reducing the role money plays in politics and the internal Democratic Party policy that seemingly leaves too many men and women without a voice.
But he needs to dial back his attacks on Clinton.
Sanders’ voice carries power. He should add it to a chorus that clearly explains why Trump would be catastrophic for the nation. And Sanders knows this. He has said “We will not allow Donald Trump to become president of the United States.”
To ensure that, however, Sanders supporters must vote this fall for Clinton.
Clinton has made history, becoming the first woman to earn enough delegates to become a major political party’s nominee for president. Sanders has his own historic role to play now, by helping ensure Clinton gets into the White House.