Bernie Sanders Endorses Hillary Clinton

Introduction

Bernie Sanders endorsement of Hillary Clinton is a simple act of desperation from a politician who has learned how to play the game. However, as the recent exposure of the Democratic National Committee chair, Schultz’s corruption regarding the delegates the game is rigged. Every element of this story rings of the need to reform the voting system so that a person could actually be elected by popular vote. Under the nuance of this clarity is the fact that the two party system does not reflect the needs of the nation or her people. Thus, Sander’s choice was not really a choice, as the dark specter of a Trump presidency looms.

Pressure Cooker

All along his diligent political campaign Sanders knew his authenticity and lack a genetic pedigree made him a long shot for the presidency, but he believed that even if he could not seize the nomination he could speak for the people and hopefully make inroads for a third party scenario. It is unfortunate that Clinton did not offer Sanders the vice-presidency, but it is unlikely she would enjoy working with a politician who truly represented the will of the people over the will of special interests. For those Americans who understand his position his endorsement was one of many sad pieces of news:

The 74-year-old self-described democratic socialist, who has been a thorn in Clinton's side over the last year, pledged to support his former rival through Election Day: ‘I intend to do everything I can to make certain she will be the next president of the United States.’ (Lee, Mercia, and Zeleny)

The time had passed for Sanders to call on the limited justice of the democratic voting system, as he knew they were conspiring against him the entire time. After all, it is the delegates who choose the nominee, and not the voters, as this race showed conclusively:

• Sanders was the leader in the popular vote.

• Sanders was the early leader in the all-important pledged-delegate count.

• And here’s where the super-delegate count stood on February 19th:

-Hillary Clinton: 451

-Bernie Sanders: 19 (Abramson)

This injustice has been the case in every election, and it is time the American public began to realize that their presidents are chosen behind closed doors from a select pool which is not really open to the public’s will.

This reality may be why Schultz and Clinton have no shame colluding now in public. For even though Debbie Wasserman Schultz stepped down due to this misconduct, he immediately moved into position as Clinton’s head campaign chair (Rosenfeld). As reporter Steven Rosenfeld puts it, the rapid turnaround, first a humiliating resignation and then a lightning rehabilitation, speaks volumes about rewarding loyalty at the top of Democratic Party circles, where, Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman, was exposed by document dump for doing exactly what the Sanders campaign alleged for months -- deploying the party as a de facto arm of the Clinton campaign when it publicly said it was neutral. (Rosenfeld)

This action makes it clear that Clinton knew about and supported the unfair treatment of Sanders, and still does. This illustrates the corruption of politicians and their favors. Clinton’s behavior is unjust, and there is little evidence that she would be a just president. The biggest element in favor of Clinton as president is that someone has to beat Trump, and that is a sad campaign foundation. Even before the party was exposed, back-channel conversations have already begun between Clinton’s campaign and the DNC about what role the party will play in the general election. These discussions are happening out of sight for now to avoid the appearance of collusion before the party has formally selected a nominee. (Abramson)

In the light of these realities what does Sander’s endorsement of Clinton really mean? Probably nothing more than let’s not let Trump destroy the nation. Observers at the endorsement see “there appeared to be little natural chemistry between Clinton and Sanders and their body language was noticeably stiff. The two avoided physical contact after first walking on stage together” (Lee, Mercia, and Zeleny). Sanders knows that there is nothing to be done right now about the rampant corruption in voting regulations and corruption. That was one of the things he vowed to change, and one of the reasons he was never given a real chance. 

Corruption Ticket

The democratic party does not want to change the rigged system, and in their core they are not much different than the Republican party. As Ron Paul recently “joked, saying that people ask for a third party to run while he only asks for a second. Paul maintained that there was very little difference between Republicans and Democrats. He called the current parties a ‘deliberate distraction’” (Davis). One reason Clinton wanted Sanders’ endorsement was the misguided belief that it would automatically hand over his supporters. However, unlike the polarized masses who believe in the two party system, Sanders supporters are not unthinking sheep to be shuffled off to the next shepherd. A recent Yik Yak poll of Sander’s supporters revealed, “that 48 percent of respondents claimed they would opt for a third-party option instead” (Erickson). This reality is the result of the younger generation accepting the two party system is rigged. 

Third party candidate Jill Stein, whose platform is much similar to Sanders than Clintons, understands the corrupted root. Stein released an impassioned statement after the chilled endorsement, saying; millions are realizing that if we want to fix the rigged economy, the rigged racial injustice system, the rigged health care system, toxic fossil fuel energy all the other systems failing us, we must fix the rigged political system, and that will not happen through rigged Democratic Party. Right now we have a real chance to change our rigged political system, and we must not squander this opportunity by pledging allegiance to a corrupt political insider who the majority of Americans do not like, trust or believe in. (Erickson)

While Stein’s statement really does sum it up, because the system is rigged voting for a third party right now is like throwing one’s vote away. Some may say the stakes have never been higher with Trump on the and now is not the time for third-party discussions. However, what they would be missing is that the very corruption of the rigged system has enabled the monster risk that is Trump to emerge. The longer the corruption is ignored for the greater the consequences will become. In this Sanders’ endorsement does seem as if he is missing the bigger picture. Sanders move has not changed why people supported him, and his supporters are still focused on the big picture. For example, one of Sanders’ most popular surrogates has been actress Rosario Dawson. Instead of falling in line behind Clinton like so many other celebrities who initially supported Sanders, Dawson is strong in her resolve to fight the neo-liberalism Clinton embodies. (Sainato)

This is the case with many of Sanders’ followers who are tired of cowering in the fear o the two party system. In an interview with the Young Turks, supporter Susan Sarandon affirmed, “Bernie has ignited this spark and we’re not letting go. It’s important to know this army is going to continue. When we said this is a movement not a moment, we meant it” (Sainato). In response to the revealed corruption the Clinton campaign is not addressing the root of the corruption, but pulling a smoke and mirrors tactic. As the Observer commented, “The Democratic Party is completely neglecting the Guccifer 2.0 leaks, instead forcing Putin-focused rhetoric. By allowing Clinton to get away with everything, the DNC has enabled her campaign to undermined democracy” (Sainato). This has been Clinton’s pattern her entire career, and while she may make a marginally better president than Trump, every element of this unfolding story echoes around the corruption eroding the system. 

The behavior of the Democratic Party is uninspiring in an age where corruption must be truly uprooted to preserve life on this planet. However, the Democratic Party doesn’t want unity; it wants unabated loyalty to Hillary Clinton. Any criticism or dissent has been met with resentment and followed by emotional blackmail. This kind of Party isn’t an inclusive, diverse group open to new and different ideas, but rather one focused on unequivocally maintaining the status quo at the expense of disenfranchising voters who feel they have no other choice. (Sainato)

That has been the motivation of the two party system for some time, and the general levels of corruption have been growing at a rate that corrupted politicians are vying with each other for slightly better position. The non-corrupt such as Bernie Sanders are not given a fair shake at the game of politics because they will not further the corruption which forms the bedrock of American politics. This was shown by the unilateral lack of support from the DNC. No election has ever this reality more clearly as, “The ongoing political corruption is more in our faces than ever before, and the murky motive behind Sanders’ endorsement proves even more worrisome for our presidential future, and clearly seems to have backfired on him” (Erikson). What is left for this election is not pretty, and quite  

Conclusion

Sanders endorsement of Hillary Clinton appears to be a betrayal of the platform which endeared him to so many people disenchanted with the two party system. While Sanders may see the common enemy of Trump as a rallying cry, there may be more to the story than has been revealed. Sanders’ supporters are disappointed, and will not appear to transfer loyalty to one so different from their leader. One can only hope that the corruption exposed in this primary season will truly soak into the consciousness of the American people, who must see they do not have the power to vote for their representative. The corruption of the delegate system, and the stranglehold of the two party system must be broken for any type of authentic democracy to be practiced in America.

Works Cited

Abramson, Seth. “Clinton and the DNC Are Not Just Colluding — They’re Changing the Rules for Superdelegates.” Common Dreams, 10 May 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/10/clinton-and-dnc-are-not-just-colluding-theyre-changing-rules-superdelegates

Davis, Zuri. “After Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton, Ron Paul explained his decision to not support the GOP nominee.” Rare, 27 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://rare.us/story/after-bernie-sanders-endorsed-hillary-clinton-ron-paul-explained-his-decision-to-not-support-the-gop-nominee/

Erickson, Alexa. “Sanders’ Clinton Endorsement Backfires as Poll Reveals his young Supporters would vote third-party.” Collective Evolution, 27 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/07/27/sanders-clinton-endorsement-backfires-as-poll-reveals-his-young-supporters-would-vote-third-party/

Lee, M.J., Mercia, Dan, and Jeff Zeleny. “Bernie Sanders endorses Hillary Clinton.” CNN, 12 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/11/politics/hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/

Martin, Jonathan, and Alan Rappeport. “Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Resign D.N.C. post.” The New York Times, 24 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/us/politics/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-wikileaks-emails.html?_r=0

Rosenfeld, Steven. “Debbie Wasserman Schultz Resigns in Disgrace, Only to Be Elevated by Clinton to Key Campaign Role.” Truthout, 26 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/36979-debbie-wasserman-schultz-resigns-in-disgrace-only-to-be-elevated-by-clinton-to-key-campaign-role#14697457092851&action=collapse_widget&id=0&data=

Sainato, Michael. “DNC Retaliates Against Sanders Supporters Who Call Foul on Corruption.” Observer, 28 Jul. 2016. Retrieved from: http://observer.com/2016/07/dnc-retaliates-against-sanders-supporters-who-call-foul-on-corruption/