Democrat Bernie Sanders endorsed former rival Hillary Clinton for president in a show of party unity on Tuesday, saying she was the best candidate to fix the country’s problems and beat Republican Donald Trump in the November 8 election.
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“Today, Bernie Sanders will be endorsing one of the most pro-war, pro-Wall Street and pro-offshoring candidates in the history of the Democratic Party”, he said.
The day that Bernie Sanders supporters dreaded finally arrived Tuesday when Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
Sanders will formally endorse Clinton on Tuesday during a rally in New Hampshire, a step her campaign sees as an important signal to the Vermont senator’s backers. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has aimed to court Sanders supporters, many of whom perceive the political system as stacked in favor of elites.
His blessing may swing a few more Sanders stalwarts into the Clinton column and further shore up her support. He was opposed to Clinton’s relationship with big banks and campaign fundraising, repeatedly calling on her to release transcripts of speeches she made to Wall Street firms and alleging she would not be able to take regulatory action due to their donations.
Others said Sanders did the right thing and that they’re ready to get on with the business at hand: defeating Donald Trump. “But I think we can all agree that much, much more needs to be done”, he said.
Clinton’s campaign has also worked to hire Sanders aides. The Democrats spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of Sanders’ formal announcement. “I don’t trust her”, said Lisa Friddle, 53, a nurse from Palm Bay, Florida.
“There are a lot of unhappy campers out there who will not follow Sanders back into the graveyard of the Democratic Party”, Stein said.
Sanders established early momentum when he defeated Clinton soundly in the New Hampshire primary.
Clinton aides are confident that Sanders could be the former secretary of state’s most potent weapon against Trump. Sanders could prove an extremely useful ally for Clinton. “The platform has always existed as an obvious place where Sanders could gain some victories, and claim to his supporters that he made a difference”, said Boston College political scientist David Hopkins.”But at the same time it’s a fairly costless place for Clinton to make concessions”.
Donald Trump is going after Bernie Sanders for his expected endorsement of former Democratic primary rival Hillary Clinton. “Together, we continue the fight to create a government which represents all of us, and not just the 1 percent – a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice”. “Sanders was not true to himself and his supporters”.
The perception that Sanders has dragged his feet – and forced Clinton to move left in a protracted primary race – has frustrated some Democrats.
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Clinton too is shrinking her pool of possible vice-presidents, with senator Elizabeth Warren, senator Tim Kaine – with whom she campaigns on Thursday in Virginia – President Barack Obama’s cabinet secretaries Tom Perez and Julian Castro, and congressman Xavier Becerra believed to be on her short-list.
