Now that Bernie is dropping out, I feel free to make this post.

[Tom Rinaldo]

First and foremost, I am glad he has suspended his campaign.

Unlike a great many here, I do see some potential good in a candidate continuing a Presidential campaign beyond the point where there is any realistic chance of that candidate winning. For a fairly recent example, John Edwards wasn't pressured by John Kerry to drop out in 2004, even way past the point where Edwards had a ghost of a chance of actually winning. And for all of that Edwards got rewarded with the VP pick.

An active campaign can still promote ideas, policies and programs potentially of long term value to our country. Joe Biden has been our defacto presumptive nominee for weeks now, and our party has already rallied behind him. There was no imperative for Sanders to rush in pulling the plug so early, it is only early April and our Convention is still many months away.

However a powerful new reality has eclipsed politics for virtually every American, and that is the pandemic. To use an apt but chilling metaphor, it has sucked "all the oxygen out of the room". No issue, no matter how profound, can be processed any longer through the prism of a presidential primary. No one has any attention left to spare for that. It made sense for Bernie to stay in the race through the Wisconsin primary because a contested Democratic presidential primary helps drive Democratic turnout on election day, and ALL Democrats in Wisconsin were seen as benefiting from that since the election just held was not just a primary. We wanted high Democratic turn out in order to defeat a conservative incumbent on Wisconsin's Supreme Court. Of course that materially changed when the pandemic made voting in person dangerous and when Wisconsin Republicans slammed the door on safer alternatives to voting in person yesterday.

So now, from any and all vantage points, the advantage for Sanders and all Democrats of his coordinating closely wherever possible with Joe Biden far exceeds the gains any possible advancement of his ideas through an ongoing campaign might offer him or the nation. Joe Biden has been extraordinarily gracious in his stance toward Bernie Sanders over the last few weeks, and I am proud of our presumptive nominee for all of that unifying grace and wisdom he has shown. I am also aware and thankful for the concrete gestures Joe has already made to be more inclusive in his own political platform of some of the policies and initiatives that both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders ran so purposefully on. I support Joe Biden even stronger and more enthusiastically today than I did a couple of weeks ago when I shifted my preference to him here on DU.

Joe made an extraordinary both insightful and generous comment the other day about the influence on and contribution to American politics that Bernie Sanders has helped foster in the course of his two historic runs for the Presidency. On the occasion of Bernie Sanders now suspending his second and undoubtedly last campaign, let me say that i strongly concur.

Bernie Sanders has been right on the issues all along and it is time for our political establishment to catch up with him. An employer based health care system, even at it's best with strong union representation and/or highly civic minded employers, only works for those who are employed. And only until those businesses declare bankruptcy, which they tend to do when times get rough. This pandemic has exposed which workers are essential to America, and they aren't working on Wall Street (unless they are first responders). They are Nurses and shipping clerks, truck drivers and postal workers, and almost to a person they all deserve raises. The bulk of the people picking our produce, and stocking our grocery stores shelves, work for far less than $15 an hour. And no degree of fame and fortune can protect even the most privileged of Americans from disease and death when a pandemic is on the loose. We are all in this together and ultimately are only as safe as the least safe among us, be they those in homeless shelters or prisons. When they fall ill we all get exposed. If we do not shore up the base of our society than even it's peak will ultimately tumble.

Suddenly, facing an economic collapse, our government will rush to shore up the fortunes of huge energy companies, while creating a half a trillion dollar shush fund to benefit corporations. The impractical,the unthinkable, suddenly become pressing priorities when those who have influence in America feel their fortunes threatened. But it has always been deemed imprudent to guarantee something as basic as a living wage, or universal healthcare to America's working and middle classes.

Bernie Sanders has consistently called out that hypocrisy and pointed to policies that prioritize the interests of the public over those of special interests. I am proud to have supported Bernie Sanders for President. I am eager to help elect Joe Biden as President. There is no contradiction between those statements.

[Blasphemer]

1. While I don't agree with all that you say, I appreciate your thoughtfulness and grace.. nt

[elleng]

2. Thanks as always, Tom.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. You are, as always, much more than welcome

It's a pleasure to still share a board with you

[Hortensis]

3. Wishing you continued lack of contradiction and dissonance.

Democrats and others on the progressive left will definitely do far better battling our enormous RW domestic and foreign enemies as one.

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. I won't have any difficulty with that.

And all of us "will definitely do far better battling our enormous RW domestic and foreign enemies as one."

On toward victory!

[mvd]

5. I'm still really sad

Bernie will be too old for sure next time, if he is still alive. I feel he was the best person for the job and I was proud to support him. I respect his decision, though. It was all but impossible to catch Biden before, much less now. It gives Biden a chance to focus on the GE. And I will be supporting Biden.

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. It's amazing to realize that Bernie Sanders rose to become one of the leading political figures

in our nation, and that it became at least highly plausible that Bernie might become the Democratic Party candidate for President. Five years ago that would have seemed far fetched to the point of lunacy. Bernie has already accomplished a great deal, and the priorities that he embraced will now move closer to reality under Joe Biden's presidency.

[ancianita]

7. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis. I agree with every word.

Especially these.

Bernie Sanders has consistently called out that hypocrisy and pointed to policies that prioritize the interests of the public over those of special interests. I am proud to have supported Bernie Sanders for President. I am eager to help elect Joe Biden as President. There is no contradiction between those statements.

To unity now more than ever.

[William769]

8. I'll make my point short and sweet

He gets behind Joe Biden PERIOD!

[Don1]

9. Great post.

I agree with so much of what you say, not all, but most.

Nuanced differences don't even need to be discussed.

Go Unity!

[Demsrule86]

10. I did not agree with your entire post (do I ever?) but I appreciate it just the same. Thanks.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. Thanks Demsrule, I apperciate that.

Hell, I don't 100% agree with myself from one day to the next. But we agree on what's important now!

[Kali]

11. good post

[LizBeth]

12. Sanders is still asking for money, on ballots and not running campaign. What does that make him?