Bernie must stay in this race [View all]

[Onlooker]

First, I don't believe Hillary is going to run away with the election tonight or anytime soon, but even if she does, Bernie is crucial to the Democratic Party. Thanks to Bernie, Hillary is calling for a substantially higher minimum wage, addressing the issue of the costs of college, and advocating increased toughness on Wall Street. Bernie has been a powerful influence in terms of moving the Democratic Party back towards what it was prior to Jimmy Carter, a Party that truly tried to focus on economic equality. Not only that, thanks to Bernie, Hillary is being forced now to deal with controversies that would otherwise plague her in the general election. He is making her into a better candidate should she win the nomination.

Bernie needs to stay in the race even if he can't win to draw in the new blood that will ultimately change the Party for the better, to force the Party to directly confront the real economic issues that we face, to provide leadership for progressive candidates within the Democratic Party who would otherwise be marginalized by the Party elite, and to leverage his achievements so that he forms a long-term movement, designates an heir apparent, and uses his power base to secure some sort of concession (choosing a Supreme Court judge, leading the Democratic Party, naming the VP candidate, or something else).

I think that whether you support Bernie or Hillary, it's clear that Bernie is a powerful positive force for nation. If he backs out of the race anytime soon and goes back to being an independent, then his political revolution will be severely diminished. I do not think that if he stays in the race it will breed division in the long run. The vast majority of Bernie and Hillary supporters will unite no matter who wins the nomination.