As we move towards the Democratic Convention where, absent the apocalypse, Hillary Rodham Clinton will be nominated as our candidate, it’s become apparent that some Sanders critics simply can’t let go of the primary fight.
Even as it is increasingly evident that the President, HRC and Sanders himself are turning the page and mending political fences, some continue to obsess over Sanders as though he and Clinton were still fighting for the nomination.
It’s more than a little bizarre.
In the past two weeks Sanders has met with President Obama and Secretary Clinton. According to all reports, including the statements of the principals themselves, these meetings were both positive and amicable. The President followed up by making a formal endorsement of Secretary Clinton while being sure to laud the contributions of Sanders’ campaign to the party and the election process.
Following their meeting on Tuesday, both Sanders and Clinton issued nearly identical statements in which they pledged to work together to defeat Donald Trump in November.
On Wednesday the news broke that the Clinton Campaign was moving to take control of the DNC, effectively reducing Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s Chairmanship to an empty title. Thus one of Sanders stated goals was satisfied.
This was followed by Sanders’ livestream speech to his supporters wherein he reiterated his pledge to work with Clinton to defeat Trump and indicated his focus was now reform within the Democratic Party rather than contending for the nomination. The shift away from actively campaigning for the nomination was buttressed by reports that the Sanders Campaign was no longer lobbying Super Delegates to switch from Clinton to Sanders.
One might think that as ostensible Clinton supporters, the trajectory of these events would be greeted with universal delight by Sanders’ critics.
One might think so but one would be wrong.
Rather, we see an outpouring of renewed criticism and complaint, primarily because Sanders has yet to formally concede the nomination to Clinton. This has taken the form a resurrecting and regurgitating all the toxic tropes that poisoned the atmosphere of the primary.
Do we hear any of this sort of thing coming from the Clinton campaign?
No.
Do we hear anything like this coming from the President?
No.
Do we hear anything like this coming from the Democratic Leadership?
No.
Is there some massive upsurge of anti-Sanders anger among rank and file Democratic voters?
No.
Everywhere other than inside the anti-Sanders bubble, increasing comity seems to be the order of the day.
No one directly involved with negotiations with Sanders, not the President, not HRC herself, is behaving this way.
You’d think that people supposedly devoted to Clinton would take note of this and draw the obvious conclusion but no.
Instead they fall back into the same pot and kettle attacks that they pursued through the primary.
I’m sure some of this is genuine anger due to bruised sensibilities but it’s obvious they are at odds with the stance of our presumptive nominee.
One has to ask why anyone at this point would find it useful to continue taking pot shots at Sanders. It serves no practical purpose.
Unless the goal is to defeat the politics he represents.
In which case, it makes perfect sense.
One can only hope that such a motivation is limited to a minority and the anger of the majority will dissipate as we move forward.
One thing is clear though. Those who continue in this vein are not on the same page as Clinton and the President.