Bernie likely is picking a fight with Obama that he can't win

[onenote]

On June 3, 2008, President Obama was on the verge of having a combination of pledged delegates and super delegate commitments that would put him over the threshold needed for the nomination. His campaign announced a slate of around 60 additional super delegate commitments -- more than enough to reach the target number. That night (after splitting the final two primaries with Clinton) he declared himself (and was declared by the media) to have captured the nomination.

Clinton did not concede that night, but waited only a couple of days before indicating she would do so, allowing the party to begin the unification process and turn its attention to the General Election.

Next week, Clinton will reach the same threshold that Obama reached in 2008 -- her pledged delegate plus super delegate commitments will exceed the 2383 number needed for the nomination. And she will declare herself and will be declared by the media to have captured the nomination.

Under the circumstances, it is extremely likely that President Obama will announce sometime mid to late next week that he is recognizing Clinton as the nominee, will cast his super delegate vote for her, and will call for the party to unify promptly to take on the grave threat to the nation posed by Donald Trump.

His endorsement will trigger additional endorsements and will carry enormous weight with the super delegates that have already committed to Clinton and that Sanders would need to flip to win a "contested" convention.

If Sanders persists after Obama (and probably Biden and Warren, among the more prominent uncommitted supers) call for the party to unite around Clinton, he is picking a fight he can't win. Sanders v. Obama is simply no contest -- the party regulars that make up the super delegates would not, and will not, show up a sitting president -- one with extraordinarily high favorability numbers among Democrats -- under the circumstances presented. Obama's endorsement and call for unity will give them all the "cover" they need to stick to their guns.

And Bernie will be left looking like a sore loser -- a one-man band with a loyal group of supporters who he could be urging to join in the fight against Trump, but instead is relying on to wage a fruitless campaign against the inevitable.

It will be a sad ending to Bernie's campaign.

[bigwillq]

1. A kick for Bernie!

Keep the Bernie posts coming! So glad so many are keeping him front and center on DU!

[CrowCityDem]

2. Bernie is still, like always, asking for special rules to apply to him.

[aikoaiko]

29. Bernie is defying convention , not rules.

[wendylaroux]

3. Go Bernie!! picking a fight with obama? wtf you talking about? lol

bunch of gd crybabies.

[BillZBubb]

4. Bernie will keep fighting. He's not going to cower before the Third Way crowd.

He will stay in it until the votes are counted at the convention AS HE SHOULD.

[upaloopa]

30. Fighting for what? He lost he just won't admit it.

[BillZBubb]

32. It's not over until all the votes have been counted!

He's fighting for influence in the platform.

[astrophuss42]

5. Thanks for the tip

[Nye Bevan]

6. Bernie will seem like the Japanese soldier lost in the jungle, years after the war is over,

but who still thinks the war is being fought.

[Trust Buster]

10. Now this post busted me up. Good one.....LOL

[rock]

7. "It will be a sad ending to Bernie's campaign. "

No, only for crybabies. For everyone else it will be joyous!

[Feathery Scout]

8. *likely* Bernie has never said he will go against President Obama's endorsement

....I think we should wait and see and give him the benefit of the doubt.

I believe Bernie will be a huge help for the entire party.....in fact, he already has.

Let's give him some time, as Hillary needed some time in 2008.

Obama has not endorsed quite yet

[raging moderate]

12. Yes, you are right.

In 2008, Hillary waited several days to concede AFTER Obama claimed victory. I remember because I was already an old Obama supporter.

Clinton supporters should possess their souls in patience, as we had to in 2008.

[Lord Magus]

20. This is a very different scenario from 2008.

That campaign went down to the wire. The outcome was still in doubt until very late.

[Renew Deal]

28. 2 Days

[George II]

22. I'd love to see Tad Devine and Jeff Weaver try to "flip" Barack Obama and Bill Clinton!

[Trust Buster]

9. The Big "O" is chomping at the bit to hit the campaign trail for Hillary. Next week, his patience

towards Sanders will expire. Sanders will flounder in the Big "O"s shadow.

[CobaltBlue]

11. onenote—Which 2016 Democratic presidential candidate do you prefer?

[onenote]

16. I voted for Sanders in Virginia and donated to his campaign, but after it became clear to me

that he could not capture the nomination, I shifted in General mode and once Clinton starts raising GE money, I will donate and work for her election over Trump.

[mmonk]

13. It's not 2008. No matter what Bernie does or does not do,

millions left out in the cold by the current economic system will insist on a say on how they governed.

[nc4bo]

14. That's what I love about him. He's a fighter. He would fight for us

In the exact same way.

[MoonRiver]

15. He's just a petty little egomaniac, IMO.

And he will quickly fade into complete irrelevancy. Good riddance.

[nc4bo]

17. I guess it would take one to know one, wouldn't it?

Yes, I believe it would.

All presidential candidates have egos and I won't get into the petty part since we know who thought voters had every right to question Barack Obama's country and State of birth and made it topic of greeaaat importance to the voting public.

That was a real class act, don't you think?

[hobbit709]

18. I didn't know Obama was running.

[onenote]

19. He's a super delegate and the most influential Democrat in the country.

He will be campaigning for the Democratic nominee.

You must be new to politics.

[hobbit709]

21. I've been around a long time. your OP made it sound like Bernie was running against Obama

[onenote]

23. I know you have, which is why your comment was perplexing

You aren't naive enough to interpret my post as suggesting a literal electoral contest between Obama and Sanders.

They will be fighting a battle of wills. Obama's interest and desire to have the party unite on the one side and Bernie's insistence on extending the nomination fight on the other. In order to win that fight, supers would have to follow Bernie not Obama. And that isn't going to happen for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the party regulars who would have to do so have no interest in making Obama look weak going into a General Election when many will be counting on him for support in Senate and House elections (as well as the presidential election itself).

[BobbyDrake]

24. "Sanders v. Obama is simply no contest" Which is why Sanders only "called for" Obama to be primaried

instead of having the stones to do it himself. He knew even 4 years ago that Democrats wouldn't line up behind him. How he got bamboozled into believing it this year, you'll have to ask Tad Devine. Devine was the one who bamboozled him into running in the first place, mostly as a grift to swindle millions of dollars out of the pockets of progressives.

[Gothmog]

25. Tuesday's expectant announcement will be consistent with President Obama and every other Dem Primary

In every past contested Democratic primary, the presumptive winner was announced by the press based on super delegates. President Obama was correct in making this call and it will be appropriate for Hillayr Clinton to also make this call


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History is a good thing and Sanders does not get special treatment that is different from all past contested democratic primaries

[aikoaiko]

31. Bernie is challenging convention and its a good thing.

[still_one]

26. Interesting speculation. We will see what plays out

[Renew Deal]

27. Obama will six dimensional chess Bernie

And he probably has already. Obama will finish off Bernie without Bernie even noticing.