Bill Press: Bernie is not a threat

Enough’s enough. Bernie Sanders has had his fun. Yes, he did better than anybody thought he would. He attracted huge crowds, he inspired legions of young people, he set the agenda for the Democratic primary and he gave Hillary Clinton a run for her money. But now that he clearly can’t win, it’s time for him to get out of the way — now! — so that Clinton can focus all her attention, time and money on defeating Donald Trump. 

That’s the clamor heard from all sides today, even from many liberal, “nervous Nelly” Democrats and loudly amplified by the media. After Sanders won Oregon, the front-page headline on The New York Times complained: “Sanders willing to harm Clinton in homestretch.” Politico gleefully reports “Bernie loses his halo.” And The Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson warns that, by staying in the race, “Sanders is playing with fire.” 

{mosads}There’s one thing wrong with that defeatist refrain: Nobody told the people of West Virginia or Oregon, where Sanders won big. Nobody told the people of Kentucky, where he came within 1,900 votes of defeating Clinton in a state she won 65 percent to 29 percent in 2008. And nobody told the people of California, New Mexico and four other states who are still turning out in “yuuge” numbers at Sanders campaign rallies.

This is a classic case of the Democratic establishment losing touch with the Democratic base. Bernie Sanders isn’t “hurting” Hillary Clinton by staying in the race until voters in every state cast their ballot, just as Clinton did against Barack Obama in 2008. He’s actually helping her and helping the party by generating enthusiasm and excitement, bringing millions of new people into the political process and setting forth an agenda of new and exciting ideas.

And that’s important. No matter what the pundits say, politics is not only about math. If it were, nobody would care. Politics is also about, I would say mainly about, vision, hope, change, energy, enthusiasm, excitement, passion and bold new ideas. And so far in this primary, the excitement and the bold new ideas are all with Sanders. That’s why he keeps winning. That’s why Clinton has not yet been able to lock up the nomination against a political unknown from Vermont, who isn’t even a member of the party whose mantle he is running under.

There’s every reason for Sanders to continue his campaign. He’s won 46 percent of all pledged delegates. He’s received more than 9 million votes in the primary. He raised more money than Clinton four months in a row and a total of over $200 million from small donors alone. His getting out of the race would not make Clinton a stronger candidate. Only she can do that, by adopting a strong, proactive message for her candidacy, which she has, strangely, yet to do. 

If he’s not the nominee, there’s no doubt Bernie Sanders will strongly support Hillary Clinton and urge his supporters to do the same. But the surest way to turn them off is for Democratic leaders to continue to pressure Sanders to drop out before June 14.

Press is host of “The Bill Press Show” on Free Speech TV and author of “Buyer’s Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down.”