Hillary Clinton may have snagged the number of delegates needed to clinch the democratic presidential nomination but that has not affected the Bernie Sanders campaign or supporters much. Bernie is standing strong in his conviction that the race to battle Donald Trump for the white house is not over until the final primary vote has been cast. Sanders is also holding strong to the fact that he may be able to sway super delegates in his favor. Some would argue that he is biding time while hoping Clinton is federally indicted for her email scandal and putting the safety of America at risk.
The Associated Press announced Monday, ahead of the primary race in seven states on Tuesday, that Clinton was the presumptive nominee. It seemed a desperate move by the DNC to deter the strong voter turn out expected in California where Senator Sanders and the former Secretary of State Clinton were running neck and neck in the polls. They were announcing her “win” based on the same pledged delegates she’d had the whole time. What many don’t realize is that while these super delegates have pledged their allegiance to Clinton what they have not done yet is vote. The pledged and super delegates both cast their official votes at the Democratic National Convention in July.
It has been an uphill battle for the once almost unknown Vermont senator since the start of his campaign. His likability and policies eventually drew in first time voters and those fed up with establishment politic alike in massive numbers. He is the candidate of the millennials who will inherit this great country one day and want to see it develop into a place of real equality. Millions share his views on policies such as breaking up the big banks, making higher education more affordable, taking the big business out of politics to bring back democracy. Establishment politicians must be clutching their bank books in terror as Sanders spreads a message around the country that the 99% should not have to suffer as the 1% prospers, reminding those who had lost hope that this is America, the land of hope and opportunity. At least they say it is.
No one thought he would have made it this far, in fact those who have been amazed at how well the senator has done are now wishing he’d drop out already. His popularity and the fact that despite the fact that the some in the democratic party have worked as hard as possible to make it clear Clinton is their candidate, Sanders keeps winning primaries, is stressing people out. Leaders in the democratic party are urging Sanders to try to push his supporters over to the side of Hillary Clinton. Clinton and top party officials understand that it is imperative Clinton now clinches the votes of the people. Party official are afraid that the longer Sanders stays in the race he is causing a rift in the party and stopping his supporters from being able to rally around Clinton which the party so desperately needs right now.
Donald Trump has done so well in the primary races that Hillary has to be shaking in her boots. Now that she has attained the necessary number of delegates to claim victory as the presumptive nominee Hillary know she needs Bernie Sanders supporter to win the race. If all of the Sanders supporters decide to vote Trump, the white house will go to the republican party. I wrote an article last week giving voters another option if they couldn’t stomach the thought of putting their support behind either Clinton or Trump. A third party candidate, Gary Johnson will also be on the ballot in November. While he may not have a chance of winning, if you research his politics you may find that voting for him in an act of protest against the two party system will bring you more peace than abandoning your morals and inner voice to vote against your beliefs due to allegiance to a party that has no allegiance to you. Their choice of candidate says so much, almost as much as Trump says about the republican party.
Bernie Sanders supporters have not taken the news of Clinton’s imminent nomination well. Social media is flooded with voter outrage. Why wouldn’t it be, voters in so many states have claimed fraud, ballot issue, polls opening late and all kinds of other issues this election season. In fact, Maryland where I live is in a huge debate over the primary as well. After the election it was found that at least 1,700 city votes had been “mishandled”, ballots were later found in a closet. The official results could not be certified, they had to recount by hand and even still a lawsuit has been filed looking into the problems on election day.
Tuesday evening as Clinton was celebrating becoming Americas first ever female presumptive democratic presidential nominee Sanders was still holding strong. The senator spoke in California, pledging to keep campaigning until the District of Columbia primary next week. He also vowed to fight on for social, economic, racial and environmental justice at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next month.
In her victory speech Clinton had only kind words about the Vermont senator “He has spent his long career in public service fighting for progressive causes and principles and he’s excited millions of voters, especially young people,” she said of Sanders. “And let there be no mistake: Sen. Sanders, his campaign, and the vigorous debate that we’ve had about how to raise incomes, reduce inequality, increase upward mobility have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America.”
Clinton also reminded voters to “remember what unites us.”
President Obama called each candidate after the polls closed Tuesday and congratulated them both on their campaigns. The President congratulated Senator Sanders for energizing millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality and special interests’ influence on politics. President Obama congratulated Clinton on securing the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. At Bernie Sanders request he and President Obama will sit down for a meeting on Thursday to discuss the significant issues at stake in this election that matter most of America’s working families.
Though Clinton secured the delegates necessary to garner the nomination of the democratic party President Obama did not come out Tuesday and endorse the former Secretary of State. Everyone is waiting to see if and when he will do so. One thing we know for sure however is Bernie Sanders isn’t going out with a fight.
