It's all about delegates and influence now

[Kerrycrat]

Bernie realized he couldn’t win. But I’m reading that he’s encouraging his supporters to continue to vote for him.

So now he’s going for influence at the convention. He will wield the delegates he continues to gain to push for his agenda there.

It’s a play for relevance.

[msongs]

1. we've seen this movie before nt

[R B Garr]

2. Sorry, but I'm having some cynicism about this move now. It's almost looking like Sanders

wants to mitigate the blow-outs against him by appearing to have dropped out, while he is still collecting delegates.

The blowouts in favor of Biden were what put the count out of reach for Sanders.

Sanders knows his supporters will still show up, but other voters might take him at his word that he is out, when he pretty much isn't if he still is advocating for delegates. That would close the blowout delegate count in Sanders favor. I hope I'm wrong, but that is what it kinda looks like.

[Demsrule86]

4. Nope. I am voting still in Ohio...and I encourage others to do the same thing.

[R B Garr]

5. That is great news! I admit it was my cynicism, but I've seen nothing from him

to prove that this is not another...angle.

So glad to hear you will be voting! Stay safe, but I know I would make sure I voted, too.

[Demsrule86]

11. DeWine although GOP is not in the death cult and has acted responsibly. We have a mail in vote on

April 27th I think...ordered my ballot last week.

[R B Garr]

13. The mail in works really well for us. But we drive the ballots in just to make sure

they get delivered. They have the drive-through all set up and you just drop your ballots into a cardboard box someone extends to your window. Very well organized and thought out. Glad you are doing mail in!

[Demsrule86]

15. That is what we will do also.

[Kerrycrat]

6. That's one hell of a dance you're describing

My mind just doesn’t work that way. Wow

[R B Garr]

7. I understand, but I got this from Sanders' focus on delegates.

From his own words in his supposed dropout speech, in which he describes his quest for more delegates -- a bit of duplicity there. He is very concerned about delegates, so I question what the motives are for him. It's sort of like your OP but an opposite take, although I admit it is more cynical.

[LongtimeAZDem]

3. In other words, he will do nothing to stem the vitriol against Biden from his supporters

[TwilightZone]

8. If he wants to be relevant, he should drop the nonsense and back Biden and other Democrats.

Instead of continuing to make it all about himself.

The number of delegates he has will be irrelevant - Biden will win easily on the first ballot, as was going to be the case since about Super Tuesday.

[The Magistrate]

9. His 'Influence', Sir, Will Dwindle By The Hour

Already his most devoted followers on social media are denouncing him as a sell-out who betrayed the 'Bernie' movement. Not for nothing is it said revolutions eat their own.

My guess is that about one in seven of his followers will not vote for Mr. Biden come November, and these are mostly people who would not normally vote for a Democrat in the first place place --- they would vote Green or Libertarian, or not at all. Sanders has not really led them, merely accumulated them by erecting himself as a figurehead for their varied discontents. He has no control over them. The rest of his followers will come to Mr. Biden, with varying degrees of regret, because they recognize the importance of turfing out the cheap thug Trump, and they will do so on their own. Sanders has no especial guiding influence over them either. The man just has nothing he could deliver, and a politician who cannot deliver a voting bloc cuts a very poor figure indeed. There is not even any point in attempting to court the dead-enders who comprise the one in seven faction, for anything they might respond to would repel many among the middle of the road types who have grown disgusted with the cheap thug Trump, and the latter are by far the larger group.

Attempts to 'influence' the Party platform are simply laughable, and it is hard to believe the man takes the matter seriously enough to threaten disruption over it. In campus Marxist cliques, and meetings of the more outre far left parties, platforms and manifestos matter, because they mark who is on top in the organization, and who must accept being on the bottom or else leave to form a new clique. But nowadays the platform of a major national party is meaningless, it neither guides the campaign nor directs any action of people who are elected to office once they are sworn in.

By August the reality of the situation may well have sunk into even so impervious a mind as that of Sanders....





"When things are not called by their right names, what is said cannot make sense. When what is said does not make sense, what is planned cannot succeed. When plans do not succeed, people become uneasy. When people are uneasy, punishments do not fit crimes. When punishments do not fit crimes, people cannot know where to put hand or foot."

[ancianita]

10. Biden has already acknowledged Sanders' relevance. He said yesterday ...

"Bernie has an incredible following.

Bernie's one of probably a half a dozen people in American history who may not be the nominee but has had an impact on American politics in a significant way...and a positive way," Biden said.

"So if I'm the nominee, I can tell you one thing: I would very much want Bernie to be part of the journey, engaging in all the things he's worked so hard to do, many of which I agree with."

[SidDithers]

12. Maybe he can put Cornel West on the platform committee again...

Sid

[William769]

14. It over Francis. Get over it.

[LizBeth]

16. Late last night on FB, I had 3 separate ads for Sanders come up asking for money. 2 nights in a row

Sanders is just so not a Democrat.