Stay in the Race, Sanders

Photo by Shlomo Roth

The memorial songs for Bernie Sanders' campaign are ringing through the streets and everyone seems ready to call it for Clinton as a growing centrist voice is demanding that democrats fall in, and toe the party line in the coming presidential campaign, which is most likely going to be against the racist, sexist, and always conspiracy-theory-minded Donald Trump. But in actuality, Clinton is just around three hundred delegates up on Sanders, with about eleven hundred delegates still up for grabs in the race to two thousand three hundred and eighty three. Super delegates, which are decidedly with Hillary right now, can go to anyone up until the July convention, so counting anybody out at this point would be foolish, particularly given the massive crowds and record crowdfunding that Bernie has managed to call upon. It's true that the American political discourse is so deeply to the right that it would seem strange if Sanders were to make it to the general election. He is avowedly for putting firm limits on capitalism and environmental abuse. He sees society as a collective project and says out loud that Palestinians deserve freedom and that Black Lives Matter. Those were all positions that the Clinton camp came into the race disregarding, disagreeing with or dismissing as bad politics. It's true that no matter who wins, the American people will have to organize movements to push those in office to act for a better world, and it's true that Hillary Clinton is better than Republicans on issues like safe and healthy abortion access, and she would probably pick better judges to sit on the supreme court. But beyond that, in issues of policy, both foreign and domestic, Clinton might make a good manager in the current reality, but since when does the Left simply want to manage the current violent and exploitative reality? The loudest voices are trying to tell voters that the race is over and it's time to get real, but there's a lot of room between now and the nomination. And don't forget that Sanders does better against the GOP in poll after poll. American voters should raise their voices for the candidate they want to see win in these primaries, not the one they're told is going to win.
​ 

I originally wrote this for, and presented it on, the i24news show "Road to the White House."