When Bernie Sanders finally endorsed Hillary Clinton during a rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday, he held out his hand to his onetime Democratic rival for a congratulatory shake.
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This could be possible, she said, if Sanders “truly saw the light”, meaning “the green light, that we do need independent politics”.
“And there is no doubt in my mind that as we head into November, Hillary Clinton is far and away the best candidate to do that.”Sanders did not formally suspend his campaign, however, for procedural reasons related to the upcoming Democratic National Convention”.
“Secretary Clinton has won the Democratic nominating process, and I congratulate her for that”, Sanders told the crowd in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Sanders concluded his remarks by stating that Clinton will make an outstanding president and that he is proud to stand with her.
Fox News says it is suspending its contributor agreement with Newt Gingrich “due to the intense media speculation” about him as a potential vice presidential candidate of Republican Donald Trump.
Sanders has vowed to continue on until the convention and even though he endorsed Clinton he is still an active candidate, his campaign said after the joint appearance.
The Vermont Senator also questioned what Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court would mean for civil liberties, equal rights and the future of the country.
The holdout was seen as part of an effort by Sanders to secure changes to the Democratic Party platform that were more in line with his progressive ideology.
Disappointment in Mr. Sanders cascaded across the internet as he embraced his former rival, describing her as a comrade in the fight to overhaul a rigged campaign finance system and lift the poor out of poverty.
“I heard a lot of Bernie in her voice, which I wasn’t willing to listen to before”, LePage said.
Without mentioning Republican Donald Trump, Clinton says, the country can’t be detoured by those “who play to the worst of our feelings, who would divide us, who would scapegoat us”.
State House Majority Leader Crisanta Duran of Denver, a Clinton backer, said Sanders’ endorsement was good for party unity and that he had influenced Clinton on key issues including health care and a plan for free college tuition for families of four with incomes of $125,000 or less. But after Sanders urged his supporters Tuesday to join him in backing Clinton, Trump responded in his true Twitter style that Sanders “is selling out!” and welcomed his disenchanted voters “with open arms”.
As the Democrats consolidate, Clinton appears to be pushing policies that will help capture Sanders’ supporters. Acknowledging his primary battle with Clinton, Sanders said he came to the stage not to focus on the past but look forward to the general election. Many are criticizing Sanders for betraying his progressive ideals.
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“Bernie Sanders, who has lost most of his leverage, has totally sold out to Crooked Hillary Clinton”, Trump tweeted.
