Time for Bernie to Acknowledge the Inevitable

I have donated generously to the Bernie Sanders campaign.  I stood for Bernie at my Democratic Caucus and was gratified to see a huge majority of my district do the same.  Senator Sanders swept Alaska's caucuses in a landslide.

The reasons I supported Senator Sanders are very straightforward.  His analysis of the major issues facing our country is substantially the same as my own.  First and foremost, the issue of income inequality.  The disparity in income that has increased steadily since the 1970's is not an Act of God.  It is the direct result of political decisions made over the past forty years.  The Republican Party has contributed mightily to this massive redistribution of wealth - from the middle class to the rich.  Ronald Reagan, in particular, gave political legitimacy to the vacuous "trickle-down" economic theory. Taxes were cut-favoring the wealthy over everyone else.  Public investment was strangled for infrastructure and much else. 

The wealthy have done what one would expect.  They have used their enormous wealth to protect and enhance their political and economic advantages.  Senator Sanders' analysis of a corrupt and broken campaign finance system is right on the mark.

Senator Sanders gets it.  I am not certain that Secretary Clinton really does.  President Bill Clinton moved the Democratic Party decisively to the "center" in the 1990's.  It was a very astute political tactic and served the party well.

But 2016 is not 1993.  And good tactics from 1993 do not make good strategy for 2016 and beyond.  Again, in my heart-of-hearts, I fear that Senator Clinton may not understand that.  

Nevertheless, the jig is up.  Senator Sanders will not be the Democratic nominee for President in 2016.  It's time for the two campaigns to sit down and negotiate Senator Sander's withdrawal in a manner that is beneficial for Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders and, most importantly, the rest of us.

Senator Sanders has served the Democratic Party extremely well in 2016.

Don't blow it, Secretary Clinton.