Friday, June 24, 2016

SANDERS SORT OF ENDORSES/DOESN'T ENDORSE/SAYS HE MAYBE SORT OF ENDORSES CLINTON

Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton this morning!
Asked on MSNBC's Morning Joe whether he will vote for Clinton in November, Sanders responded "Yes."

The Vermont senator, who has not yet formally ended his 2016 campaign, said that stopping Donald Trump from becoming president must be an overarching goal.

"I think the issue right here is I'm gonna do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump," he said.
Except he's not dropping out, even though he's promised to vote for his opponent:
But Sanders also dismissed the idea that he should withdraw from the Democratic race now that Clinton has secured the nomination.

"Why would I want to do that when I want to fight to make sure that we have the best platform that we possibly can, that we win the most delegates that we can?" he said.
And while he said definitively that he'd vote for Clinton, that's not an endorsement:
And in a later interview on CBS, Sanders declined to formally endorse Clinton, although he indicated that he "hopes" to before the convention.

"I haven't heard her say the things that need to be said," he said.
And on CNN, he said he isn't sure about his November vote after all:
Bernie Sanders said Friday he will likely vote for Hillary Clinton for president in November, the strongest expression of support yet from the Vermont senator, but he left the door open that he could change his mind.

"In all likelihood, it will be Hillary Clinton," Sanders told CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day."
In the most definitive statement, on Morning Joe, what strikes me is the limited list of issues on which Sanders seems to think Clinton is a clear choice over Trump:


We do not need a president whose cornerstone of his campaign is bigotry, is insulting Mexicans and Latinos and Muslims and women, who does not believe in the reality of climate change, when virtually every scientist who has studied this issue understands we have a global crisis. This is not somebody who should become president.
That's it? Nothing else immediately comes to Sanders's mind that's objectionable about Trump? The ignorance? The recklessness? The flirtation with white nationalism? The support for torture and other war crimes? The very Republican budget with massive tax breaks for the rich? And Trump isn't just insulting various groups, he's actively planning draconian measures to repress them. Everything Sanders says is worth saying, but he could say a hell of a lot more.

Throughout the morning, Trump Sanders emphasized key issues he wants to get into the Democratic platform:
Pressed by [CBS] anchor Charlie Rose on what he needs to hear [from Clinton], Sanders said he wants Clinton to call for public universities and colleges to be tuition-free and to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. These are two areas where Sanders and Clinton disagree, but only by degree.

Clinton is advocating "debt-free" public college, and she says she thinks the federal minimum-wage should be raised to $12 an hour while states and cities could raise it to $15 on their own, as some are already doing.
I think Sanders really believes that Trump is not that far from Clinton on these issues, or at least where Clinton would be if Sanders hadn't run. But:
Compare that to Trump, who believes the Department of Education, which gives federal aid, should be "largely eliminated"; privatizing student loans; incentivizing the kinds of college majors that are proven to make more money; and he has waffled on the minimum wage.

He had said in a November debate of the current $7.25 federal wage, "I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is." Yet, last month, he said he was open to doing something about the wage because he's "very different from most Republicans." But it's unclear what Trump would do exactly. There is no policy position on his web site relating to education or the minimum wage in any way.
Trust me: A President Trump would sign whatever bill the Ryan/McConnell Congress places on his desk with regard to the federal minimum wage, even one that eliminates it altogether. I wish Sanders understood that. And if he does understand it, I wish he'd talk about it.

14 comments:

AllieG said...

Sanders cannot accept defeat. Just can't. Pretty childish for a pol of his long experience. He started off in the trade getting smoked in several mayoral elections for heaven's sake.

Tom Hilton said...

Throughout the morning, Trump emphasized key issues he wants to get into the Democratic platform...

Freudian slip?

Never Ben Better said...

The more I see of Sanders, the happier I am I didn't vote for him in the primaries.

And that's not even considering the assholes among his supporters.

He sure is working hard to encourage the Democratic power structure to tell him to just fuck right off, isn't he?

Steve M. said...

Freudian slip?

Yeah, maybe. Fixed now.

Unknown said...

Steve you keep feeding this to people but no one is listening. Bernie Sanders is dead meat zand 75%-80% of his Bots are "Ready For Hillary". His Convention dreams are not going anywhere with Elijah Cummings running the show and CBC telling him to buzz off (and I and many others agree) on Open Primaries kills that dream. If he keeps yapping off they may just knock off Caucuses to bust his balls. He is History.

Pete said...

On any reasonable scale, Sanders and Clinton are approximately infinity% closer to each other on the issues than either of them is to Trump. I took that stupid "which candidate agrees with you" test, and got 99% on both Democrats and 7% on Trump. Sounds about right to me. Bernie yapping "say the right words" is getting seriously close to Trump's "say Islamic terrorism." Just stop, wouldya.

Robert said...

"I will not repeat the terrible mistakes my husband made when he was President."

That doesn't seem too hard to say. Her refusal to do so makes one question if she's really ready for the big chair. (Her emphasis on "the deficit" on the campaign trail also makes me think she might not make a good President since it paints her as (yet another*) Democrat who is an economic know-nothing).

*like our current President who said the federal budget is just like doing your bills at your kitchen table.

Robert said...

BTW, Sanders said he would vote for Clinton because he's afraid of a Trump Presidency.
How is that any different from what the Democratic (not left-wing) blogs have been saying?

Victor said...

Bernie won most caucus states, but not open - or closed - primaries.

Hillary beat his ass in those "real" elections.

The system was NOT rigged, Bernie! You just didn't appeal to enough voters in primaries.
Hell, I wanted to vote for him in our primary, but I had a bad case of the shit's.

Just give it up, Sanderista's!
He's done a lot of good,
Do what you can, Bernie, to keep Hillary to the left.
And then, sit in the corner, and STFU!

KenRight said...

But on the other hand....


https://willyloman.wordpress.com/2016/06/24/mr-revolution-bernie-sanders-enthusiastically-says-hell-vote-for-hillary-i-got-one-message-for-him/



"Hillary Clinton stole the nomination. That’s not even a question anymore. She’s a criminal who broke the law to hide public documents from the people and the historical record. She traded influence for money via her corrupt Clinton Foundation and promises to keep the same racket going while serving in the White House. She is a mass murderer who celebrated like a giddy Goldwater Girl the brutal murder of a beloved national leader in Libya. She employees mercenary terrorists to destabilize countries in order to force regime changes on behalf of neoliberal globalist business partners of hers. She is a liar. She is a thief.
She spouted every damn lie about WMDs and Yellow Cake from Niger on the floor of the senate in 2002 in support of Cheney’s illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq.
She said Iraq was a “business opportunity’ in 2012 while soldiers were being blown up by IEDs on a weekly basis.
Do you understand what I am saying Bernie? Do you hear the words coming out of my keyboard?
SHE CALLED IRAQ A FUCKING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY YOU OLD BASTARD!!
That’s too say nothing of the long list of republicans, neocons and globalist Big Business/Big Banking fascists that have already come out in support of this witch.
Hillary Clinton is by far and away not qualified to hold an office in your local post office but Bernie Sanders enthusiastically says he will vote for her."

AllieG said...

The person who wrote the excerpts you quoted is seriously demented. Most Sanders voters I know are nice suburban folks and college kids who're quite sane. This person needs professional help. He's meeting Alex Jones headed in the other directiom.

Yastreblyansky said...

It's cute that Ken quotes a source calling itself "Willy Loman" since he's clearly trying to sell us some goods and believes that "attention must be paid [to him]!"

I'm seriously worried Sanders may now be in the thrall of his crazier loyalists who are telling him Clinton is going to be indicted any day for anything from the emails (there must be something wrong there) to voter fraud in California and he needs to be ready to assume the mantle of party leader without being too closely associated with this criminal.

William F. Glennon said...

¡Bernibros unidos jamás seran vencidos!

Unknown said...

Not sure What Future of Bernie and Hilary . I think they might agree on Wages
"I hate to say it, but we have to leave it the way it is." But other issues like politics in money are Not possible that's the power of Hillary.

Bill Maher discussed issue last week
Bill Maher On Bernie Hillary Future & Trump Latest 25 june