Bernie is doing the work he SHOULD be doing...working to solidify his supporters behind HRC.

[Ken Burch]

To do that, Bernie needs to make the case, again and again, that his campaign had an impact, that the work his supporters have done mattered and was worth their time. He needs to argue, as he is arguing, that the changes he and his platform team made in the platform show that his decision to run and the work millions of people did to try to get him nominated, is worth it.

That is why he is talking about what the Sanders campaign achieved. This is why his decision to do that is the most effective thing Bernie COULD be doing for the party at this time.

The only voters Bernie can influence are people who supported him in the primaries and would have supported him in the fall, many of whom still feel(and it's not my place to say they shouldn't feel)deep distrust towards our nominee. He doesn't need to argue that she'd have been worth supporting without his platform language being partially adopted(though he probably would have done that if that had been the case anyway), and he doesn't need to keep chanting "The Court, The Court, The Court" or join in demonization of the left, to make that case.

It is about validating his supporters work, work that was positive, work that has made the party better.

Why would anyone quarrel with that?

What matters is getting votes for the Democratic ticket, and that's what Bernie is trying to do.

[seabeyond]

1. Or instead of it being all about him, and he the progressive changed the "evil" Democratic party

to the far left position, he start being honest about Clinton, how she has damn good policies. Well thought out and doable. A damn good progressive that is not and never has been far from him EVER....

But hey, why not give Sanders the ownership of everything progressive that Democrats have been working towards for their lifetime, right?

[AgingAmerican]

2. I don't understand the jealousy from the winning side

And the continued handwringing and attempts at revenge against him by partisans. I find it puzzling. Remember 'tick tock'?

[seabeyond]

3. It is not jealousy. I do not get why you do not understand, people working progressive issues for a

lifetime does not want to hand ownership over and accept the role they are merely the lesser RW and needed Sanders to show them how to be progressives.

You do not get taking ownership of others works?

You really do not understand?

[AgingAmerican]

4. See post #1

It isn't about 'ownership'. It's about working together to make things palatable for the most voters. Some folks just need to let go of residual animosity from the primary fight, and move forward. We still see people trying to drive Sanders folks away from the nominee and the party, and it is puzzling and political suicide at this point in the game.

[seabeyond]

5. It has been consistently about ownership for Sanders thru out the last 15 months, to this day.

[AgingAmerican]

6. So say your blinders

Take them off and the big picture lays out before you, clear as a bell.

[seabeyond]

7. I see clearly.

[Ken Burch]

15. Do you want Bernie to apologize for even running?

Why shouldn't he be reminding his supporters that their efforts made a difference? Doing that is the best way to get those folks to the polls in November.

[Ken Burch]

9. He has enthusiastically endorsed HRC and is working to elect her.

He doesn't need to defer to her to do that, and we wouldn't be asking your side to defer to us if we had the nomination locked up.

HRC is fine with things are going.

[Ken Burch]

8. If he gets votes for her, what difference does it make HOW he does it?

If you are a progressive, you shouldn't use words like "left" as a slur-besides which, none of the things Bernie has added to the platform are bad for women or POC, and none have hurt us in the polls.

What was he supposed to do, endorse her without trying to improve the platform at all?

The war is over...you've got no reason to keep attacking Bernie.

[Ken Burch]

10. He isn't taking ownership.

He's just reminding his supporters that our efforts made a difference.

What is he supposed to do?, apologize for ever running?

Nothing Bernie has added to the platform is bad.

[democrattotheend]

12. He said as much (re. her having good policies)

He said it in his endorsement speech yesterday and in an interview he did this morning. I thought he did a good job of making the case for her without going over the top in a way that would seem not believable. This isn't 2008 - Bernie and Hillary have serious policy differences on some issues and Bernie does her no favors if he becomes an unabashed cheerleader and loses credibility with his own supporters.

[NCTraveler]

11. He is a solid Clinton surrogate.

He will do well working on our behalf to elect Clinton.

[Ken Burch]

19. Thank you. n/t.

[pnwmom]

13. Too bad Cornel West has had such a prominent position in his campaign

and on the platform committee, since he's now trying to lead the charge toward Stein.

[Ken Burch]

14. Not Bernie's fault.

Nothing would have been better if Bernie had refused Dr. West's support. Doing that would have sent the message that AA intellectuals weren't welcome in the Sanders campaign. No one would have praised him for it and no votes would have swung his way for it.

[pnwmom]

16. Bernie didn't have to give an Obama hater a prominent place in his campaign

or on the platform committee.

He could have accepted West's support without elevating him and turning him into a surrogate.

Now West has defected to someone who has called Obama "Bush on steroids." This isn't surprising to anyone who's been paying attention to West over the years.

[Ken Burch]

18. If anything, he'll drive huge numbers of voters away from that candidate.

n/t.

[Vote2016]

17. I don't think the party has given Sanders the support he would have needed to achieve that goal