At the rally itself, Sanders continued making the pitch he's been honing since he returned to the campaign trail: This isn't a year to vote third party. Mentioning Clinton's name sparingly, Sanders told several hundred voters — many still wearing gear from the Democratic primary — that their votes could stop the election of a Republican "who thinks climate change is a hoax." [....]
"This is not the time for a protest vote, in terms of a presidential campaign," Sanders said. "I ran as a third-party candidate. I'm the longest-serving independent in the history of the United States Congress. I know more about third-party politics than anyone else in the Congress, okay? And if people want to run as third-party candidates, God bless them! Run for Congress. Run for governor. Run for state legislature. When we're talking about president of the United States, in my own personal view, this is not time for a protest vote. This is time to elect Hillary Clinton and then work after the election to mobilize millions of people to make sure she can be the most progressive president she can be."
The journey from Clinton primary foe to Clinton surrogate has been awkward for Sanders. At high-profile moments during the Democratic National Convention, including an address to his delegates, he mentioned his endorsement near the top of his remarks and was blown back by jeers and boos. Since then, Sanders has tucked his endorsement later in his speeches, after rundowns of exactly what concessions his campaign got from the Democratic Party, and what a Trump presidency would undo.
No comments:
Post a Comment