Bernie Sanders drops out of presidential race

[kpete]

Source: NBC

Bernie Sanders is ending his presidential campaign, he announced on Wednesday.

The Vermont independent senator's 2020 bid started off strong. He narrowly missed first place in Iowa before picking up wins in New Hampshire and Nevada. All the while, his campaign continued to rake in millions in small-dollar donations and pack rallies full of supporters as he ascended to national front-runner status amid a crowded Democratic field.




Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/bernie-sanders-drops-out-presidential-race-n1155156

---

Link to tweet

[Pachamama]

1. About Effin time

Amen

[NY06DemSoc]

54. Stay classy.

[LiberalFighter]

58. He was.

[obamanut2012]

59. the poster was restrained AF

[Hekate]

74. She speaks for me. Last time Sanders told his fans to "vote their conscience" ...

...which is not an endorsement of the Dem nominee; and Jane (good ol' Jane) said virtuously that "it was not important who they voted for, but that they voted."

Remember who became potus and by how slim a margin in states targeted by Jill Stein?

I wll spare you what my lefty husband had to day about ideologues, as you might find it even less classy than my gentle friend Pachamamma.

[KPN]

137. +++++

[Marrah_Goodman]

116. Nice... classy...

SMFH

[Cha]

124. Pachamama speaks for me, too!

[Marrah_Goodman]

153. I've never hated any of our candidates. N/T

[NurseJackie]

117. I know... right?

[Bengus81]

157. That PHONY hasn't dropped out of anything........

He's still wants his name on all ballots and has NEVER endorsed nor given his delegates to Biden. This is just more grandstanding nonsense by Bernie and his "bros" who just like in 2016 just have a hard time letting it go. When they finally figure Bernie isn't the guy they go to a corner to cry claiming they won't vote in this election so we can be assured of another four years of Trump.

Hey Bernie,DROP OUT,throw your support and delegates 100% behind Biden and all Democrats to get this fucking Hitler V2.0 out of office in November.

[Progressive dog]

159. It was past effin' time.

[jayschool2013]

2. Good

Thanks, Bernie, for inspiring so many.

[BComplex]

104. He truly did. I hope his efforts helped in turning our party back to the left

where it should have been all along. If we had stood by our principles all along, the right wing wouldn't have had such an unobstructed run that got us where we are today.

[Catch2.2]

121. Agreed!

[AverageJoe]

139. God Bless Bernie Sanders

A true patriot and a great American, the president we should have had.

Congratulations to Vice President Biden. I truly hope he can get the job done.

[Squinch]

3. About time!

Here's hoping for a sane convention this time.

[The Magistrate]

4. About Damn Time, My Friend!

"From Bernie’s perspective, dropping out of a race once you have no chance of winning is peculiar behavior that can only be explained by the work of a hidden hand. For most politicians, though, it is actually standard operating procedure. Only Sanders seems to think the normal thing to do once voters have made clear they don’t want to nominate you is to continue campaigning anyway."

[enid602]

103. decision

It only took a global pandemic and worldwide depression to make him come to this realization.

[The Magistrate]

107. Nobody Ever Said He Was Quick On The Uptake, Ma'am

That he hasn't changed his mind in forty years is a selling point among those who love him, while to me it seems a mark of something seriously flawed in intellect or personality or both.

[NurseJackie]

118. Thank you! You're not the only one who's noticed.

[The Magistrate]

119. I Would Consider Myself A Failure As An Adult Human, Ma'am

If I hadn't changed my mind about anything over the course of more than forty years....

Thank you for the opportunity, I am going to miss the scrapping in our Primary Forum, and am mostly retiring now to the Lounge, and the News forums....

"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[lefthandedskyhook]

130. Very poor taste

I will not sir or ma'am you as is your wont. Only a real vulture would dance about on the grave of a failed campaign at this point. Still, I will support Joe Biden in spite of your rudeness

[The Magistrate]

131. I Refer You To No. 119 Above, Fella

And stand by the sentiment without reservation....

[BlueMTexpat]

151. Well-stated, IMO.

[Voltaire2]

5. It's the right thing to do, but he will be dissed here for doing it.

[Roy Rolling]

11. It already is happening

But Bernie fooled them all—none will be more disappointed than Putin, Bernie Bros Russian trolls, and der fuhrer.

We should consider the intellectual company we keep if we’re disappointed along with them.

[Johnnie Mae]

113. Waa, waa, waa

So glad to see them sad.

[llashram]

32. and...

so what

[Voltaire2]

105. So we have election to win.

Continuing to act as if Sanders and the progressive wing of the party are the enemy is not exactly a smart strategy.

[llashram]

127. I am not

interested in BS or JD's. True we have an election to win and "all hands on deck"...history has shown that as a call to arms. Now we shall see, again won't we, as to whether our ship sinks or makes it into port...

[StClone]

128. What are JD's? And to repeat treating Progressives as enemies

Is not a great strategy! Every time I read this I think troll ala grand provocateur Trump.

[The Magistrate]

154. In My Day, Sir, It Meant 'Juvenile Delinquents'

One suspects the meaning intended here is 'Justice Democrats'. I will leave to others any exploration of whether the elder meaning overlaps the present one, appropriately or otherwise.

I will suggest that good might result from 'progressives' ceasing to treat other elements of the Democratic Party as enemies. It sounds crazy, but it just might work to foster peace and comity....

[llashram]

164. you'll figure it out

maybe

[KPN]

138. what makes you think its an act?

[Aquaria]

146. Maybe you BSers needed to consider that

Before attacking the Democratic base of women and minorities as “establishment” and worse.

If you don’t want enemies, stop going out of your way to make them.

Because too many BSers did exactly that.

[DENVERPOPS]

83. I am watching to see how Bernie acts from here on

If he has any campaign funds left over, if he gives them to the Dems to use for Biden, Or if he just keeps them for his next campaign.

How long it takes him and his followers to entusiastically get out on the campaign trail for Biden.....

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

101. Yup... so much for unifying the party!!

[HarlanPepper]

126. Unity is a two way street

And one has to be receptive to it in the first place.

[NurseJackie]

162. You mean like this? Like this UGLY tweet from Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders' National Press Secretary?

You mean like this? Like this UGLY tweet from Briahna Joy Gray, Sanders' National Press Secretary? I hardly think the Bernie Sanders campaign (or any of his supporters) are in any position to be lecturing anyone or scolding anyone about "unity", no?


Twitter Profile: Briahna Joy Gray @briebriejoy National Press Secretary for the next president i.e. #BernieSanders2020.

Bernie was too kind to go after Biden, but it's coming.

Either Dem leadership cares more abt maintaining a corporate status quo than getting rid of Trump, or they're planning to replace Joe - adopting a pretty fast and loose relationship w/ representative Democracy.

Link to tweet

[Walleye]

6. Excellent. I love him again.

I hope he backs Joe with cheerful enthusiasm.

[leftieNanner]

22. Yes! This! nt

[calimary]

36. Definitely hope so. We need him to help bring our party back together.

So we all march lock-step, as one, to defeat the monster and drive its ugly affliction OUT of OUR White House.

[ShazzieB]

61. YES!!!!!

[calimary]

72. Welcome to DU, ShazzzieB.

Time for the main event. And we can all focus on it earlier, and hopefully, more together.

But that'll be up to the Bernie supporters.

[LSFL]

129. Yep

We need Bernie to help heal the divisions that he exploited and exacerbated.

I am not holding my breath.

[ramen]

63. I will be shocked if he does otherwise.

Bernie doesn't want four years of Trump at any time, especially not in the present dystopia we live in.

[lagomorph777]

65. I am sure he will.

Bernie has way more class than those who have been hurling vicious insults at him. He is an American first.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

84. I'm with you on this.

Disappointed to see so many of us having acted like Trumpers

[lagomorph777]

88. Putin's "Bernie Bro" trolls have been quite successful, unfortunately.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

97. You need to learn to ignore them.

[lagomorph777]

99. I've never actually seen them. I just see people talking about them here at DU.

People here seem to assume they are actual Bernie supporters.

I don't do Twit or Falsebook; I gather that's where they usually pop up.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

100. Maybe most of them are Bots and others are really Trump supporters

Either way their mission to divide us has been pretty successful

[lagomorph777]

108. Sigh...yes.

Maybe we can patch it over now.

[Aquaria]

147. Go to Raw Story, Alternet

Truthdig, and other sites like that. They’re overrun with the bernbots with more spite than brains.

A most unpleasant environment.

[Cha]

142. BS "I've got news for the Democratic establishment. They can't stop us".

Link to tweet

[Maribelle]

7. Bless Bernie and his supporters!

[lagomorph777]

66. Thank you Maribelle! We are all Joe supporters now!

Changing my preference photo momentarily...

[Maribelle]

112. Welcome lagomorph777

[Paper Roses]

120. Thanks for your polite reply.

Bernie had every right to express his beliefs. I'm glad he realized that the only way to defeat this current idiot in the White House was to withdraw. I will always respect him.

[Initech]

8. Good. This is how we beat Trump.

[pazzyanne]

64. Don't know.

Seems the tRump campaign is bringing out a full court press to win over Bernie supporters to vote for tRump. I truly hope that that does not work.

Thank you, Bernie, for doing a great thing. We still appreciate you in the trenches. Keep your message moving forward.

[Initech]

67. Bernie needs to throw his full endorsement behind Biden.

I'm worried Trump would do just that. I just can't see how anyone can vote for Trump after he brought us to the brink of disaster, and he doesn't care.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

76. Anyone who would even consider voting for Trump over Biden was always a lost cause.

I don’t believe they will be a significant number.

[Bluepinky]

9. Keep fighting for us Bernie, your voice is needed!

[Chakaconcarne]

31. Absolutely! Let's not forget who's team he's on...

[MyOwnPeace]

69. "Let's not forget who's team he's on..."

I think THAT is what has been the "sticky" issue regarding how many here at DU perceive him. A good, clear, strong statement of support for the Democratic nominee would make it clear for all.

[BlueIdaho]

10. Is this real?

I need three sources on this one.

[SoCalNative]

14. BBC News also reporting

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52219756

[BlueIdaho]

24. Thank you for the link!

Thanks for helping a brother out!

[DesertRat]

16. Google it

https://www.google.com/search?q=sanders+suspends+2020+campaign

Hundreds of sources

[BlueIdaho]

19. Thanks!

I was just on the Google machine - but thank you for the link!

[Lonestarblue]

12. Thank you Bernie for doing the right thing!

I’m glad that Bernie has been in the race, and I hope that all Bernie supporters will recognize that he has helped push some most-needed changes to the forefront of our thinking. Those ideas will be reflected in the Democratic Party platform that I hope will be more progressive than any we’ve seen in the past.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

13. Krystal Ball must be wailing

Two days ago she suggested Bernie stay in if nothing else a thorn in bidens side.

[Dopers_Greed]

23. She'll probably join the Trump campaign

[calimary]

37. I hope not, and shame on her if she does.

[snort]

80. She'd have to lose her intellectual glasses.

[Cha]

143. yeah, 'cause privileged Krystal Ball doesn't give a SHITE

about the Supreme Court or People's Lives.. only her little fee fees.

[cstanleytech]

15. He made a valiant effort I have to admit and he might have won had he not committed some fubars.

Anyway its time for all Democrats both pro Bernie and not pro Bernie to come together and support Biden because if we fail to do that we will have 4 more years of Trump and I do not think anyone sane here wants that, right?

[alp227]

28. RBG and Stephen Breyer do not have many years left.

Four more years of Trump will lead to the very high possibility of a 6-3 (or even 7-2) conservative Supreme Court. If you thought Roe v. Wade, the Voting Rights Act, and labor protections were vulnerable now, just wait until Trump nominates at least a third SCOTUS justice (and you can't forget about the lower level federal courts too!)

The reality is that Democrats made their choice twice on the past four years, and his name was not Bernie. In the "Obama-Trump" states that are important for deciding the November 2020 outcome, Democrats chose Biden.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

87. Our very Democracy is at stake

I believe the power brokers on the right believe Democracy is a quaint, outdated concept, and that only their kind is fit to rule.

[Aristus]

17. Thank God.

Now let's unite behind our Democratic candidate and get Trump out of office!

Any Berniebot not on board with that can go to Hell, as long as they promise to take Trump with them...

[llashram]

33. yep

[In_The_Wind]

18. Thank you, Bernie.

[SansACause]

20. Wisconsin numbers?

Maybe he saw the Wisconsin numbers, or at least enough of them to know he's going to lose there. Biden has a 20+ point lead in most polls.

[Aquaria]

148. That's a safe guess.

It must have been a bloodbath.

[lettucebe]

21. Tonight at 11 -- Hunter Biden Makes a Come Back

So when they start attacking Biden for his son again, let's all chant long and slow about the lack of credentials that weird skinny freak man-child posturing son-in-law Jared Kushner. He is not qualified period. Saying Hunter Biden was not qualified to be a consultant is a long cry from putting Jared Boy in charge of pretty much everything under the sun.

[groundloop]

43. Yes, it's bound to get ugly. repubs are great at playing dirty to avoid talking about issues.

I just ask one thing of Bernie and that is to rally his supporters to defeat tRump. We'll need every last vote, and with a little luck we can also take the Senate.

[Aquaria]

150. I always ask the MAGAts

To explain how a guy

Who made it through Yale Law

Worked as an executive for a banking company

Worked for the US Commerce dept

Was on the board for Amtrak

Started multiple investment groups

Started lobbying firms

And was a lawyer at one of the top white shoe firms in the country...

Wasn’t qualified to be on a fricking board of directors?

Do they have any concept of how many boards of directors have idiots with zero qualifications who are there only because Daddy or $$$$?

Corporate America would look like a bar during COVID-19 if qualifications were the sole criteria for being on a board of directors.

[amb123]

25. Thank God!

Now let us CRUSH Trump and the GOP!

[cayugafalls]

26. Thank you Bernie, it was the right thing to do! nt

[dhill926]

27. ok...good decision...

now, let's roll. We have a shit ton of obstacles ahead of us. Time to unify, and run that orange piece of shit out of the White House...

[Walleye]

29. This is the mensch I always thought Bernie to be.

But I was beginning to have doubts.

[BooScout]

30. Oh yeah!

[GoneOffShore]

34. Live thread on NYTimes right now.

[bucolic_frolic]

35. Relief!

Link to tweet

[PaulRevere08]

38. It was the right thing to do and now the work is to unite all Democrats.

Joe's policies and platforms won't give everyone 100% of what they want but we need to take both the WH and the Senate to get this nation healed.

[StarryNite]

39. Good!

Now he needs to encourage his supporters to support Biden.

[AtheistCrusader]

73. I know that there are stories circulating, and maybe a couple high-profile individuals,

but for the vast majority of us, Trump is NO substitute for Bernie, and we'll be voting for the nominee. Even in private groups elsewhere, I've seen ZERO Bernie supporters plan to vote for Trump.

[Ferretherder]

114. Let me just say it right here, right up front...

...I have been a Bernie fan for years, now...and when I say a Bernie fan, I mean a fan of his IDEAS! Bernie always said, 'it's not about me, it 's about us', and I, for one, believe with all my heart that he truly means it! I am heartbroken about his loss of a path to the nomination. but am glad that he has drug a lot of the centrist element of the current democratic establishment to the negotiating table to acknowledge that the younger generation of dems WANT planks in the party platform that address income desparity, medicare for all, climate change, and affordable higher education. I also acknowledge, right here, that I'm not much of an enthusiastic Biden supporter, but, if Joe will at least show that he understands the need to address these issues, in some form or fashion, it would go a long way toward changing my level of enthusiasm for his candidacy. That being said, OF COURSE he has my vote - no TRUE Bernie supporter would even consider not supporting the Dem nominee!.....it would just be nice to hear some of Bernie's ideas given some consideration as we ALL go forward to removing the orange shitstain and his sycophant party from power.

...just sayin'.

[questionseverything]

123. i agree it would be nice if biden shows he understands we are out here

the under insured , the un insured but I will say no matter what I will vote against the current occupant

[Danmel]

41. He just said he is staying on the ballot to continue to accumulate delegates

Didnt endorse Biden

[questionseverything]

122. everyone stays on the ballot...they don't print new ballots each time someone drops out

accumulating delegates to influence platform shouldn't be a problem, the left deserves a representative at the convention

[Bengus81]

158. Well actually they keep them updated

I just received mine for the Kansas primary. I don't see Booker,Yang,Klobuchar,Bloomberg. Warren and Gabbert are the only two on it that have dropped out and there is a HELL of a difference. They really did drop out,support Biden and have pledged delegates to him.

Bernie?? He hasn't done anything other than give a phony speech and then claim he's still on the ballot and wants all the delegates he can get.

[oasis]

42. Staying on the ballot until the convention! WTF!

[Auggie]

49. "moving towards the right once again?" WTF?

The party is not "moving."

[sandensea]

46. Thank you, sir. On to a Senate majority - with a President Biden.

Unity.

[liberalla]

90. YES!!!

Wonderful post!

[sandensea]

111. Thanks!

Together, these two can change history - and make 2020 a real turning point.

Joe will hit'em high (the White House), and Bernie will hit'em low - as a key player in winning back the Senate.

United, these guys can finally send Respirator Hog and Ping-May Mitch where they belong: (fill in the blank..)

[angrychair]

47. Thank you Bernie

Congratulations VP Biden as the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party for President of the United States!!

On to the General Election!

DU General Election mode: ACTIVATE

Senator Sanders would be a great senior adviser.

[DIVINEprividence]

48. Bernie did the right thing

He ran a great campaign and has a lot to be proud of. All the different factions in the Democratic Party agree on 90% of everything. We need to put our differences aside and focus on what unites us and kick Trump’s ass up and down the sidewalk!

[Paladin]

50. Good. Now let's get rid of trump, before he kills us all. (nt)

[C Moon]

51. Thank you, Bernie!

[moonscape]

52. Finally. Great news. n/t

[Doreen]

53. NOW, is he going to do what he said he would do if it came down to Biden being the final pick?

I remember him saying that he would enthusiastically back Biden.

[Pacifist Patriot]

57. Apparently not.

Link to tweet

Ryan Struyk @ryanstruyk
SANDERS: "I will stay on the ballot in all remaining states and continue to gather delegates. While Vice President Biden will be the nominee, we must continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible... to exert significant influence over the party platform."

[oldsoftie]

77. "Listen to me dammit!!"

[MineralMan]

81. He will have great difficulty in "gathering delegates."

Voters will mostly not vote for a candidate who has withdrawn. In almost all states left to hold primaries, he will not get the 15% or more of votes that will give him delegates. He might add a few, here and there, but the voters will abandon a withdrawn candidate for the most part.

On the other hand. Joe Biden will quickly gather enough pledged delegates to have a majority of delegates well before the convention is held. Delegates are allocated proportionally to candidates who earn 15% or more of the votes. Sanders will not do that in most states that hold elections from now on, I'm certain.

I believe that Senators Sanders would have earned more support had he enthusiastically endorsed Joe Biden today, but that's his decision to make.

[FailureToCommunicate]

55. Thank you Bernie. Now PLEASE consider endorsing Biden and suggest your many followers

do the same, after a some time to be disappointed of course.

Defeating Trump MUST be the goal that unites any sentient human in America.

[keithbvadu2]

56. They suspend rather than end because they can still collect donations.

They suspend rather than end because they can still collect donations.

[masmdu]

62. Thank You Bernie! You've changed the debate for the better!

[OneCrazyDiamond]

68. Sigh,

Well I switched my candidate. Around here has been depressing with all the "Bernie not a Democrat" crap. How quickly that will change I hope.

I have a lot of doubts about Biden, but with him being the candidate against Trump, I have no choice but to vote for him.

[earthside]

70. It is only about getting Trump out.

Sanders made a cardinal mistake in his pursuit of the Democratic Party nomination ... he was still running the 2016 campaign. Biden is a weak choice, but people just want Trump out and Biden is the tabla rasa on which voters projected that desire.

Biden will win (assuming we have a somewhat 'normal' election). Nothing much else matters now except for Biden's vice presidential choice -- because that person may be the presidential nominee by November and will undoubtedly be President of the United States sometime in the next four years.

[Bengus81]

71. BS,he isn't really "dropping out". More Bernie "games" What a POS.........

You call running around and STILL gathering delegates dropping out?? This better not be true,I'm hoping for the best right now but I don't think Bernie and his "Bros" are done with the game playing.

SANDERS: "I will stay on the ballot in all remaining states and continue to gather delegates. While Vice President Biden will be the nominee, we must continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible... to exert significant influence over the party platform."

[Hekate]

79. Same old Bernie Sanders, then

[KewlKat]

94. I agree. Deja vu

[maddogesq]

75. FWIW, my two cents:

Although he dropped out, a lot of what he stands for will stand the test of time, Mad Dog Markie my word.

[oldsoftie]

78. How long before he changes his party affiliation back to "I"?

[bottomofthehill]

82. Thank you Bernie for running a good race

And thank you for reading the tea leaves and getting out for the good of the country and th good of Democracy. I am sure you will still contribute!

[AirmensMom]

89. Thank you, Bernie!

It was the right thing to do.

[liberalla]

91. Thank you Bernie!

[Bayard]

92. Joe Biden Email

"I’ve had a chance to get to know Bernie over the years. We were in the Senate together before Barack and I took office, and of course, I had known him from his work in the House. What I liked about Bernie was that he said what he believed, no matter who was in the room. I admired his passion. I liked his convictions. I thought people who failed to take him seriously would prove to be sorely mistaken. And, as it turns out, I was right.

Bernie suspended his campaign today, but while you can suspend a campaign, you can’t suspend a movement. Bernie and his supporters have taken issues which had been given little attention and brought them to the center of the conversation. Bernie gets a lot of credit for his passionate advocacy for the issues he cares about. But he doesn’t get enough credit for being a voice that forces us all to take a hard look in the mirror and ask if we’ve done enough.

Jill and I can’t wait to work with him and Jane on building a more progressive future.

Bernie has often said that his campaign was not about him. It was about “us.” That goes for me, too. And now more than ever, that rings true. This primary is over -- but this campaign is just beginning. And it’s a campaign bigger than whose name is on the ballot. It’s a campaign about people like us coming together to not only defeat Donald Trump, but to ensure that America lives up to its founding promises once we do.

We will not defeat Donald Trump by being like Donald Trump. We won’t win with division, cruelty, or appealing to the worst in us. We’ll win with compassion, humanity, humility, and joy. We’ll win by being a campaign that brings Americans together -- a campaign that shows decency, but also determination. A campaign that shows humanity, but also grit. And in the end: we will show the country that a better future is possible. And we’ll show that it is possible because of people like you. You’ve built this campaign, and believed in us -- always."

[KewlKat]

93. He's still asking supporters to continue to vote for him so he can rack up

More delegates. How is this bringing the party together?

[Bengus81]

132. It's not,just more of the same with Sanders

[PubliusEnigma]

95. Will Bernie stop accepting campaign donations?

[Cozmo]

98. Fuckin' Finally, but he's still not doing enough Surprise, surprise

[Thomas Hurt]

102. Time to get behind Biden and convince his bros to do the same.

[ECSkeptic]

106. So that's that...

...time for all of us to haul on the same rope now, and pull down the tacky brass statue.

Look, Joey B wasn't my preferred candidate, but shit be what shit be. Like Trae Crowder said, Biden is McDonald's. But we are starving, it's late, and there ain't nothin' else open right now. So you know what? I'mma pull over and we're gonna get some McDonalds.

Hopefully, he'll pick a good running mate for VP, so we'll have a nice side order of fries with that bland-ass burger.

Bring on November!

[OnlinePoker]

109. I'm wondering if this will be his last campaign ever.

If he ran again for senate in 2024, he would be 83 on election day. That's an exhausting job for someone half his age and would be tough to pull off as he moved to his late 80's.

[SergeStorms]

110. Thank you, Senator Sanders.

It is the correct thing to do.

[Luciferous]

115. I knew this was coming but it still makes me sad.

[Kerrycrat]

133. Bernie drops out...ish... nm

nm

[Laura PourMeADrink]

134. Thank you for offering all your ❤️ and strong ideas for

Our country moving forward to the future. It must have been incredibly rough yet you bounced back from your heart issues and kept on ticking. Thank you Senator Sanders !

In another time, when we didn't have a demon things might have been different. Got a steep uphill battle as it ended up. Country probably looking for a sharp hyper manager type now.

[Blasphemer]

135. Thanks Sen. Sanders! Now we can focus on the GE and save this country body and soul... nt

[summer_in_TX]

136. Thank you, Bernie!

And thank you to the MANY Bernie supporters who already have committed to supporting Biden in the general election. I expect most will do likewise.

After all, Trump's viciousness, racism, braggadocio, impulsivity, inhumane treatment of refugees and immigrants, unraveling of protections of our climate, consumers, parks, and on and on, do not strike me as something anyone on the left would support.

Trump and his administration's corruption, grifting, disrespect for checks and balances, the rule of law, and now complete politicization and mismanagement of the coronavirus will hopefully insulate them from the manipulation of Russian trolls and bots.

I agree with many of the ideas, if not all the proposed means of implementing them. Plus I have had an instinctive skepticism about the ability of any independent, especially someone of Bernie's temperament, to actually get much progressive legislation enacted. I'm glad the ideas were made more mainstream by Bernie's candidacy. It brought us closer to the New Deal principles that seem to me to be the true democratic party core.

So I'm grateful. And I'm especially grateful that he didn't run as a third party candidate as Stein did. That would have been disastrous for our hopes in November.

[rwsanders]

140. Some celebration music for everyone here who is rejoicing...

[RegexReader]

141. Now that his campaign is over,

I'm going to be listening for the messages and positioning that makes the presumptive nominee something that we can all support.

[BlueMTexpat]

152. Biden isn't

Trump.

At this point, that is ALL that should be necessary for anyone who really cares about the future of this country.

But Biden is also a good and decent person who has never put his own or his family's interests before those of his country and who also has enough good sense to appoint good, decent and qualified people to help him run this very complex government.

None of that can be said about 45.

If you STILL don't get that and will accept only some magical fairy formula that encompasses your own desires, then you clearly have not understood what is at stake - not only for the US, but for the world.

I am still heartily disgusted and disenchanted with those who said these same things in 2016 and then believed that they should NOT support HRC.

They enabled this monster. Please do NOT - under ANY circumstances - enable him EVER again!

[The Magistrate]

156. Hear Hear, Ma'am

Expressions support for Sanders are often made as a marker of political orientation. Expressing support for Sanders says 'I'm not a moderate, I'm well to the left of most people', and as with most such things, serves to identify a 'cool' group separate from the general run of 'squares'. People doing this do not even particularly want to prevail, in the sense of being in the majority. It is axiomatic that a majority can never be 'cool', the feeling of being 'hip' and part of an 'in-crowd' depends on being outnumbered by the host of the unwashed and unenlightened. The point is not to achieve any political goal, to secure any discrete reform, it is simply to be sure one is perceived as a particular, and special, kind of person.

People who have an actual interest in achieving the goals widespread Democrats, the goals of all left and progressive and liberal persons in general, recognize readily Sanders is far too flawed as a politician, and as a personality, to make any progress towards their goals. They know Sanders has not achieved any measurable advance towards them in his long Congressional career. They know Sanders' claim to hold patents and copyrights on these goals is nonesense, because they know their own desires pre-date Sanders, and exist in their hearts and minds without the slightest reference to him or influence by him.

[BlueMTexpat]

161. Thanks so much, Magistrate!

So glad to see you posting again!

While I loved all that you wrote in your response, this part particularly resonated with me:

They know Sanders' claim to hold patents and copyrights on these goals is nonesense, because they know their own desires pre-date Sanders, and exist in their hearts and minds without the slightest reference to him or influence by him.

That is so true for so many of us who have been in the political game for YEARS. It is certainly for nearly every true Democrat that I know. The "progressive" ideas espoused by Sanders are certainly not unique to him, and NEVER have been.

What I find astonishing and somewhat disheartening is that so many younger people seem NOT to know - or even want to know - US political history at all or to have ignored the real accomplishments made consistently by so many Democrats over time so that they considered Sanders, who on his own has accomplished nothing comparable to those over his MANY years in government service, to be their only true Messiah.

What Sanders did accomplish in 2016 - and I do give his campaign full credit for this - is to have ignited the imagination and enthusiasm of so many and used social media so effectively to accomplish what had not been accomplished before wrt grassroots funding of candidates.

Unfortunately, the other side of that coin is that the same social media was also used - in some cases actively encouraged by some of his supporters - as a major destructive tool against HRC in 2016. Some lessons appear to have been learned since then. Let us hope that those lessons will continue to carry the day in 2020.

We simply MUST prevail in November.

[Aquaria]

144. Finally

[BlueMTexpat]

149. Before I get too excited about

this LONG overdue gesture, I will see whether he and/or his surrogates contest the Dem Convention.

As I understand from at least one report - which I can't seem to find just now (of course!) - he is STILL seeking delegates.

My trust in Sanders is minimal to non-existent.

But I would LOVE to be proven wrong.

Eta a link that mentions this tactic: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/08/bernie-sanders-is-out-of-the-race-but-he-promises-to-press-his-agenda.html

From the link:

Though he suspended his campaign, Sanders said he will remain on ballots to win more delegates and press his democratic socialist agenda at the party convention in August.

[struggle4progress]

155. Ya doing good, Senator. Luv ya!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

160. For a short time in 2016 I was with him.

The little bird had to be a good omen, and I truly wish this country would start leaning more towards democratic socialism.

But then, when he didn’t turn his undivided energy towards Hillary, once she won the primary, not to mention his emotionally out of control followers, he lost me.

He really should have turned over support to Biden sooner, and he needs to explain the basic premise that “A house divided cannot stand” to his base.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

163. Good news

Amazing this wasn't a top news story locally.