by Robert Reich:

[elleng]

'It’s a major error for President Obama to endorse Hillary Clinton now, more than a month before the Democratic convention, and for him and other Democratic leaders to try to push Bernie out.

A third of Bernie supporters won’t ever vote for Hillary Clinton, and about a third will do so automatically if she’s the Democratic nominee.

But that leaves a third who will need to feel she and the Democratic Party are listening to their voices and reflecting their values -- or they’ll sit out November’s election.

That won’t be a problem for Hillary and the Dems if Donald Trump continues to flame out. But if Trump resurrects his candidacy, that third of Bernie supporters could be critical – especially states that were battlegrounds in the 2008 and 2012 elections. Such states include Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Oregon, which Bernie won in the primaries, and Iowa, where he nearly tied.

By the President endorsing Hillary now, and Harry Reid and other leading Democrats seeking to push Bernie out of the race before the convention has even met, the Democratic Party runs the risk of alienating that critical third of Bernie supporters. That’s a mistake. There’s no reason to rush this.

What do you think?'

https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/?fref=nf

[democrattotheend]

1. I'm okay with it

I would have been upset if the president had endorsed her a month or even a week ago, but now that she has a mathematical lock on the majority of pledged delegates I don't have a problem with it. I agree with MoveOn that the supers should not overrule the pledged delegates without a very, very good reason (i.e. if John Edwards had won the 2008 primaries).

I would have preferred if the president waited until after the DC primary, but I respect him for staying on the sidelines as long as he did. He gave Bernie the courtesy of a heads up on Sunday that he was going to endorse, and held off until their meeting today at Bernie's request. Bernie himself said that the president has been impartial and fair throughout the process.

[Tal Vez]

2. I think Robert Reich should support the efforts of others to unify the party

even if he himself does not wish to lend a hand.

[CrowCityDem]

3. The President leads the party. Not Reich, not Bernie.

[Hortensis]

4. I agree with President Obama, Senators Warren and Reid,

and many others that endorsing her is fine.

I strongly disapprove of and disagree with Reich's characterization of this as "pushing" Bernie out. Complete nonsense. We do have an election to win, and we all of us, including Bernie and his non-conservative supporters, need to get on with it because the massive forces on the right are on the move. As for those on the fence, they have literally the next five months to decide how they want to vote.

[oasis]

5. Reich joins the ranks of the "Gloom and Doomacrats". Who needs him?

[jamese777]

6. By the numbers...

Bernie trails Hillary by 375 pledged delegates. There are 20 pledged delegates still to be awarded in the District of Columbia.
Bernie trails Hillary by 528 unpledged delegates among Party Leaders and Elected Representatives.

Its over.

The first stage of grief and loss is denial.