April 8. Noon, EDT. Bernie Sanders addresses his supporters about his decision to leave the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
“As this campaign is coming to an end,” Bernie declares, “our movement is not. A fight for justice is what our campaign has been about.” He continued with...
“Today, I congratulate Joe Biden as a decent man.”
(As a decent man? What does that mean?)
Bernie proceeded to inform his supporters that he will remain on the ballot in the remaining primary states amassing delegates to take to the Democratic Convention for the purpose of exerting influence on the party platform. After the convention, presumably with the former VP as the nominee…
“Together, standing united,” Sanders said, “we will go forward to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in American History.”
Bernie then spoke personally and on behalf of his wife Jane…
“We will always carry in our hearts the memory of the extraordinary people we have met across this country. The compassion, love, and decency I’ve seen in them makes me more hopeful than ever.”
And, as he praised his supporters for their “compassion, love, and decency,” the chat stream flowed with hundreds of proclamations: “Never Biden,” “Fuck Biden,” “Biden is Bought,” “Fuck the Democrats,” and “I believe Tara Reade.” Some even declared, “I’d rather vote for Trump.”
Bernie finished with these words: “Please stay in this fight with me. The struggle continues. We go forward together.”
Bernie Sanders should be fully acknowledged for making progressive policies mainstream Democratic Party policies. As The L.A. Times said, “Sanders came closer than any self-proclaimed socialist in U.S. history.”
But, his campaign failed because, as CNN opined, “...even as his policies grew more popular over the years and into the primary season, the Vermont senator struggled to broaden his own support and galvanize a winning coalition.”
Now, the question is…
Can the Democrats put together a winning coalition in November?
Bernie making his message to his diehard progressive supporters a whole lot clearer could help make the answer to that all-too-important question YES!
Rand Bishop (Gimpy Ol’ Norman) is the author of the memoir, TREK: My Peace Pilgrimage in Search of a Kinder America. Part One of Bishop’s new serialized satirical e-book novella Option (D): Dosing Donald is now available in Kindle edition.