If Hillary wins the nomination, what should Bernie do?

[Vattel]

Should he fall in line and sing her praises? NO, he should be faithful to his message.

No doubt he should and would endorse her because she is far better than the alternative, but he should also continue to make it clear that real change will require something that no President can achieve by him or herself: a revolution.

And what is that revolution?

It is nothing more and nothing less than enough people agreeing that power must be taken away from the few and given to the many, that adequate healthcare is a right, that a worker deserves a living wage, that immigrants have the right to be with their families and feed their families, that climate change needs to be at the top of our political priorities and not the bottom, that the government should not deprive millions of their liberty through incarceration, that war with its attendant slaughter and misery is almost always the wrong option, and that all of these revolutionary ideals must be transformed into practice because justice demands that transformation and well-being requires it.

To quote Bernie:

No matter who the next president of the United States is — this I say with absolute certainty — if that president is serious about addressing the huge crisis facing this country, that president cannot do it unless there is a political revolution.

What does a political revolution look like? It means that 80 percent of the people vote in national elections, not 40 percent. It means that billionaires can't make unlimited campaign contributions and buy and sell politicians. It means that the U.S. government represents the needs of all the people, not just the 1 percent and their lobbyists.

With your support and the support of millions of people throughout this country, we begin a political revolution to transform our country economically, politically, socially and environmentally.

[livetohike]

1. Retire n/t

[Vattel]

11. He doesn't seem to be slowing down much.

[Warren DeMontague]

60. Its funny that there wasnt all this deep seated loathing of the guy when we had a senate tie

And he was the tiebreaking vote.

Why just retire? Clearly he's guilty of the "crime" of posing a challenge to the preordained inevitable one, whose TURN it is.

Why not send him to Gitmo? It's what he deserves, right?

[stevenleser]

2. He will endorse her. The end. nt

[Vattel]

8. I said that he should and would endorse her.

[longship]

3. He will endorse her, as he said he would do.

Unlike too damned many of his supporters.

I am a Bernie supporter and I will do like Bernie because I care that my country's government not fall into utter madness and mayhem, or worse, theocracy.

[zappaman]

4. Thank you for a sane response.

[Vattel]

7. I said that he should and would endorse her. So what's the problem?

[zappaman]

10. I wasn't talking to you.

So what's the problem?

[Vattel]

38. Oh, and here I thought you disagreed with my OP.

[Vattel]

5. Did you read the post? I said that he should and would endorse her.

[longship]

12. I was answering the question in your title! nt

[Vattel]

17. okay, fair enough

[TDale313]

6. This campaign is the start of The Revolution

Not the end. The issues Bernie's giving voice to- they have been building for decades and the need to fix a broken system won't disappear even if the oligarchs win this cycle. Younger people get it, and eventually they will begin to flex their political muscle.

[w0nderer]

9. wow looking at the answers here there can't be a lot of left leaning happening

so...

IF Hillary wins
Bernie has 2 jobs
1 get Hillary elected..much as i dislike her, she's better than Trump
2 KEEP Hillary on the LEFT side of center or at least from jumping into the RIGHT

[immoderate]

13. Bernie should keep his powder dry. Hillary will fuck up.

--imm

[Buzz Clik]

16. Seriously? "Sanders 2020"?

[immoderate]

19. No. Not that dry.

But he should not just be suborned.

--imm

[Buzz cook]

52. Sounds like you're ready to throw Bernie under the bus

If he doesn't toe whatever line you have set.

[immoderate]

56. I would be quite disappointed if Bernie abandoned his principals,

if that's what you mean.

I set a line? What might that be? There's a bus?

--imm

[dragonfly301]

14. I hope he gives an endorsement that she is better than any Republican*

but returns to the Senate and continues to be the biggest thorn in the side of establishment politics - the revolution is not just about Bernie's presidential campaign but of giving a voice to the disenfranchised 99%. He's been fighting the good fight for decades, his presidential campaign is shining a spotlight on what he wants us to accomplish together.

*It's really not Bernie's job to get Hillary elected - that's what Goldman Sachs is for. She is not owed Bernie's soul - he should not have to say anything he doesn't believe. I think he believes she is better than any Republican candidate.

[Buzz Clik]

15. He should go back to being an ineffective politician.

[Mufaddal]

20. How do you get internet service under your bridge?

[Buzz Clik]

24. Look it up. For how many bills was Sanders primary author and sponsor during his time in the Senate?

Hint: you can count them on one hand.

Not exactly a glorious, productive career.

[Vattel]

32. Well, to be fair, when he was arguing in Congress against invading Iraq,

correctly predicting the bad consequences of such an invasion, he didn't get much help from Democrats like Hillary, who was aping all of Bush's talking points about weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons programs and ties between Hussein and Al Qaeda.

[Buzz Clik]

40. So Sanders's lack of productivity in the Senate is Clinton's fault?

[Vattel]

41. Not exclusively

[Buzz Clik]

42. Uh huh.

She's been out of the Senate for seven years....

[Vattel]

43. . . . having accomplished virtually nothing.

[Buzz Clik]

44. She's about to become the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.

That's something.

[Kentonio]

58. He's called the Amendment King because he gets a lot done

Have fun with your slander of a good hardworking man though, I'm sure you'll be delighted when the underhand tactics lead to a GOP thug in the White House.

[immoderate]

22. Nah, he should help Hillary enroll us in a war, sign some trade deals, and promote fracking.

--imm

[Buzz Clik]

26. The only difference between Sanders and Clinton on our involvement in wars...

... is who should lead the attack. Period.

[immoderate]

31. It's either Hillary or our enemies.

--imm

[Mufaddal]

18. Bernie has repeatedly said what he is going to do

I appreciate the sentiment in your post, but he's made it fairly clear that he plans to throw all his support behind Hillary. I doubt it will be uncritical, but it will be otherwise-enthusiastic. I honestly don't get why we keep seeing threads about this from both sides on DU day after day.

[Vattel]

33. You don't think he should continue to be faithful to his message that a revolution is needed?

That's the main point of my OP. He should continue to focus on the revolution.

[Mufaddal]

49. In that sense, you're absolutely right

But in that scenario (which I hope to God doesn't come to pass), I think he will likely put a pin in it until after the GE, unless he can find a way that does not draw too much negative attention to Clinton while she is running. I wouldn't expect him to run a pro-Clinton campaign, I would expect him to run an anti-GOP campaign.

[Vattel]

62. That makes sense.

[SheilaT]

21. Quite frankly what he "should" do simply isn't an issue.

He'll probably support her and campaign some for her.

I don't care at all. I'll be more engaged with trying to figure out what I will do. And Hillary and the DNC should be very concerned about what millions of now angry Bernie supporters will do.

[MineralMan]

23. Help her as much as possible in the Senate.

And that's just what he'll do.

[Warren Stupidity]

25. He should endorse her for president and work for his programs in congress and work to get more

real progressives elected.

[whatchamacallit]

27. He will RELUCTANTLY endorse her

There will be no exuberance or rallies or parades... because Bernie doesn't change his stripes for political expedience. It's not a revelation that she's better than Donald Trump. That said, it's obvious he doesn't believe the direction she represents is what's best for the country. After that, in keeping with the spirit of democracy, I'm sure he believes it's up to you to decide what to do.

[Vattel]

34. I agree. My main point was that he should continue to pursue the revolution.

[whatchamacallit]

39. By all means yes

We must.

[LonePirate]

28. Interesting how Bernie doesn't hate HRC unlike his supporters who feel she's the devil incarnate.

Just my observation.

[Vattel]

37. No, Hillary = 7, Rodham = 6, Clinton = 7.

Ronald = 6, Wilson = 6, Reagan = 6

666 = devil, 767 = hawkish dishonest democrat.

[PatrickforO]

29. If Clinton wins the nomination, Bernie will...

1. Endorse and ask his supporters to vote for her, and

2. Continue to lead the political revolution.

We have yet to be mobilized, and it will be interesting if/how Bernie does that.

[Vattel]

35. Exactly what I think he should do. Number 1 is obvious, of course.

But I really hope he finds a way to effectively pursue number 2.

[Ron Green]

48. How are your #1 and #2 not mutually exclusive? n/t

[JackRiddler]

63. There will be a president either way.

[Cheese Sandwich]

30. He should try to transition his campaign into a powerful democratic socialist organization

Not a necessarily a political party but an organized force that helps elect progressives and democratic leftists at the local and state level.

[Vattel]

36. That would be a great way to keep the political revolution front and center.

[Samantha]

59. Yes he should, and it could be called The Sanders Solution

Just as the Third Way as an independent organization yet has an "infiltration" actively going on within the Democratic Party, we could have an organization which all of his supporters are invited to join, all of the planks in his platform would be preserved as goals for this Country, and we would have our own database of supporters and other important contacts (not to be shared with the DNC). Bernie with the advice of some people he trusts could start seeking proteges to join the movement. These would be people who undoubtedly would promote the planks in the platform, while keeping abreast of ongoing changes in the Congress and suggesting position papers on those changes. They would be contemplating future political runs for office. Hey, and maybe we should have a couple of lobbyists for our organization!

People could contribute a monthly membership fee (optional) but those who want to remain involved but cannot afford to contribute should be allowed to join.

Just a few initial thoughts on the subject.

Sam

[Vinca]

45. Keep on keeping on.

Bernie is the kind of person who will be working for social justice until he draws his last breath.

[Vattel]

46. I agree. I wonder, though, how he can best further his revolution if he is not the President.

If he just goes back to being a Senator and a voice of reason in the Senate, that seems to fall short of what he has done effectively even as a candidate for the nomination, namely, inspire millions to seek real change.

[imagine2015]

47. Bernie should challenge the Republican candidate to a debate! He'll tear him up.

Something that Hillary would have a big problem doing.

[aspirant]

50. Bernie has always said it is not about HIM, it's about us

so if he endorses Hills and her policies, that's his choice but the Revolution will move forward without him.

[pdsimdars]

51. Move to Canada with the rest of us

Ha!

[ibegurpard]

53. congratulate her and move on.

Stumping for her would just ruin his credibility.

[Autumn]

54. Bernie will do as he always has, the right thing.

[craigmatic]

55. Sanders should become Labor secretary.

[immoderate]

57. I suspect that could never happen under Clinton.

There would be too many 'irreconcilable differences.'

--imm

[Warren DeMontague]

61. Endorse her and keep fighting for what's right.

[Onlooker]

64. Negotiate for change ...

... by offering Hillary a ringing endorsement provided the DNC make structural and platform changes that favor the progressive millenials who backed him. He should also be given the keynote address.