It Doesn't Matter if Sanders Stays on Primary Ballots. [View all]

[MineralMan]

Not one bit. Here's why:

He has withdrawn from the campaign. What that means is that most people will not mark their ballot next to his name. Most people. Some still will, but the 15% rule means that he will not get any delegates in most remaining primary states.

It also means that Joe Biden will get most of the votes in those states. In any state where Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT) does not receive 15% of the vote or more, he will get zero delegates, except for a very few in some districts. What that will do is put Biden over the 1991 pledged delegates that ensure he will win on the first ballot at the Convention.

With that assurance, Bernie Sanders will have very little influence on the party platform or rules. He simply will not have enough clout to be able to change things to suit himself.

Once Joe Biden has the requisite majority of pledged delegates, the game changes completely. He will have that majority before all of the states have even held their postponed primary elections.

I can see what Senator Sanders is attempting here by withholding his enthusiastic endorsement, but it is not going to work. Now that he has announced his exit from the campaign, fewer and fewer people will vote for him on primary ballots. Since there is no point in voting for him, many of his supporters will simply not bother to go to the polls at all in the remaining primary elections, further limiting Sanders' chances at reaching that 15% result in those states. We saw that happen in Michigan.

What he should do is recognize that fact and issue the strongest endorsement of Joe Biden that he can muster. Will his endorsement be enthusiastic? Probably not. His bitter exit from the field and his campaign-style speech in doing so sounded a lot like his regular stump speech. So, I don't expect a strong endorsement from him.

A Note to Bernie Sanders:
More's the pity, Bernie, regarding your non-endorsement. You could do a service to the nation with an enthusiastic endorsement. You probably won't, but you should do that, just to show that you really don't want Trump as President. I hope you learned from 2016, and will work hard to elect Joe Biden. If you cannot do that, then please hold your tongue altogether. That's the least you can do. Consider the future, please, and do what is right to do. We'll all appreciate your endorsement of our next President. Withhold it, and we will withhold our praise. I guarantee that.