Though just three months ago he called her “unqualified” to be president, Bernie Sanders now hopes the 13 million people who voted for him in primaries and caucuses across the country during his remarkable 14-month run for the Democratic nomination will hop on the Hillary Clinton bandwagon.
We do too.
Of course there’s an obvious reason — defeating the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who is not prepared to lead this country.
But that’s not why the senator from Vermont drew huge crowds and beat Clinton in 22 states. His “political revolution” message spoke to people, to the point that some of his ideas are now being folded into Clinton’s platform as she angles to become the first woman president in U.S. history. This revolution doesn’t have to end just because the 74-year-old democratic socialist at its helm is officially out.
Sanders’ campaign, while coming up short, still had a profound influence on the race. Not only did Sanders force Clinton to move left on many of his progressive causes – public higher education and health care top the list — but we hope he also helped shape Democratic policies in a post-Obama world.
Take public higher education. Earlier this month, Clinton’s campaign announced a proposal to eliminate in-state tuition at public colleges and universities for families with annual incomes up to $125,000. This position embraces a core message of Sanders, who had pledged to make tuition at public institutions free for all students.
And in a speech this week in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at which Sanders formally endorsed her for president, Clinton pledged to overhaul Wall Street and the campaign finance system. These topics, too, were staples at Sanders rallies.
The fight to win the White House will take a combined effort by Clinton and Sanders supporters. Polls released Thursday either show Clinton with small leads over Trump or in a tie. This fact is not lost on Sanders backers. One poll reveals that 85 percent of them say they will vote for Clinton.
Clinton, meanwhile, should take a page from Sanders’ book and link Trump to Wall Street billionaires and big-money interests, echoing challenges voiced by Sanders.
And she should hold true to her word that Sanders supporters will “always have a seat at the table” while she is president. We hope one person with a prominent seat is Sanders himself, both pre- and post-election.
Short-term, Sanders is scheduled to speak at the Democratic National Convention that begins July 25 in Philadelphia. In the months leading up to November, Sanders should campaign as vigorously for the Democratic ticket, or as he put it Tuesday, “travel to every corner of this country” for Clinton. Not only will this help propel Clinton, but it is a chance to keep his ideas on the front burner.
Sanders also deserves a role after the election. Some top Democratic lawmakers told the New York Times he could become chairman of the committee that would work on trying to carry out a proposed $15 federal minimum wage.
In the end, Clinton must keep working to earn the trust of Sanders supporters, and all Americans. The “what you see is what you get” quality that millions admire in Sanders can’t be replicated. But after months as rivals, their policy pledges are more in line than ever.
Party unity was a theme in Portsmouth and will be again at the Democratic National Convention. Sanders was wrong to call Clinton unqualified to be president. He corrected that stance this week.
It’s clear Sanders wants to see Clinton reach the Oval Office. People who hung on his every word this past year should take the former candidate’s new views to heart.