[rad-green] Why Sanders should keep fighting

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*https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/12/why-sanders-should-keep=
-fighting/
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/12/why-sanders-should-keep=
-fighting/>*

*Washington Post          March 12, 2020*

*Why Sanders should keep fighting*

[image: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday in Burlington, Vt. (Salwan
Georges/The Washington Post)]
*Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday in Burlington, Vt. (Salwan
Georges/The Washington Post)*

By Nathan Robinson

*Nathan Robinson is the editor of Current Affairs magazine and the author
of =E2=80=9CWhy You Should Be A Socialist.=E2=80=9D*

Just a few weeks ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was being declared almost
unstoppable
<https://www.dispatch.com/zz/news/20200217/why-some-democrats-are-worried-b=
ernie-sanders-could-be-unstoppable-for-2020-nomination>.
Now, the label appears more appropriately applied to former vice president
Joe Biden. The Democratic primary isn=E2=80=99t over, but the path to a San=
ders
victory is narrow.

So should Sanders give up
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.theatlantic.com=
_politics_archive_2020_03_sanderss-2Dprimary-2Dlosses-2Dmichigan-2Dand-2Dmi=
ssissippi_607795_&d=3DDwMFaQ&c=3DRAhzPLrCAq19eJdrcQiUVEwFYoMRqGDAXQ_puw5tYj=
g&r=3DT4w9xQ4Clyy94yXK4rcBB2JoieuBFEkfeDRxHOx6QdI&m=3DrTq5BIh7Vz9WvjlYsmq3y=
RNJonpeODmZ5Vc75bjeq8c&s=3DYQZ5VN-V6rl6oEFGz5wal98S3nmErdPY5dkLr5Az6F0&e=3D>
and
go home? No, he needs to keep up the fight.

Sanders has never been running just to win. He=E2=80=99s also running to dr=
ag the
Democratic Party to the left, to forcefully confront the party
establishment about its failures to address working people=E2=80=99s issues=
, and to
raise people=E2=80=99s awareness about the possibilities for progressive so=
cial
change. Staying in the race allows him to continue doing these things and
more.

Even though Sanders lost back in 2016, in an important way he still won.
The party realized that Sanders voters represented a substantial portion of
the electorate, and because Hillary Clinton needed their support in
November, Clinton=E2=80=99s wing of the party was forced to the negotiating=
 table.
As Jeff Stein noted
<https://www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12281022/the-democratic-party-platform> in
Vox, Sanders =E2=80=9Cwon a string of concessions on the Democratic Party p=
latform,
pulling the party to the left on the minimum wage, environmental
regulation, marijuana legalization, and the war on drugs.=E2=80=9D The part=
y=E2=80=99s
official platform changed directly as a result of Sanders=E2=80=99s success=
, with
once-radical policies such as a $15 minimum wage becoming part of the
Democratic agenda.

In 2020, Sanders might be able to do the same with his signature policy,
Medicare-for-all. Even in states that Sanders has been losing badly,
single-payer health insurance has been popular among the majority of
Democratic voters
<https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-blog/march-10-primarie=
s-live-updates-democratic-presidential-candidates-face-6-n1153296/ncrd11549=
31#liveBlogHeader>
=E2=80=94
thanks in part to Sanders=E2=80=99s years-long effort to build support for
overhauling the insurance industry. The coronavirus
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/28/what-you-need-know-about-=
coronavirus/?tid=3Dlk_inline_manual_10&itid=3Dlk_inline_manual_10>
crisis
has exposed the catastrophic failings of the U.S. health-care system
<https://twitter.com/RottenInDenmark/status/1237842075745259524> and the
social safety net <https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1237900019350421506>.
Staying in the race gives Sanders the opportunity to explain how
progressive social policy can mitigate these disasters.

In 2016, Sanders succeeded at bringing the Democratic Party around on
crucial issues because he posed a threat to those who hold power within it.
The more strength Sanders and his supporters show at the polls in 2020, the
less tenable a moderate Democratic position will be. After all, if Biden is
to have any hope of beating President Trump in November, he will need to
get Sanders=E2=80=99s voters to support him =E2=80=94 and that=E2=80=99s no=
t going to be easy. A
show of strength from the Sanders base of young progressives and
independents could push Biden to make serious concessions: commit to
passing signature progressive policies such as Medicare-for-all, a Green
New Deal, free universal college tuition, and paid family and sick leave.

Critics say Sanders staying in the race will weaken Biden in a general
election, and that Democrats need to unify immediately against Trump. But
the more Sanders can put pressure on Biden to accommodate progressives, the
more =E2=80=9Cunity=E2=80=9D will ultimately be achieved. We all want to be=
at Trump. But if
Sanders supporters are left bitter because Biden disregards their agenda,
they are unlikely to pull together to =E2=80=9Cvote blue no matter who.=E2=
=80=9D

This is another reason to stay in the fight. Sanders needs to amass as many
votes as possible to make clear the number of people who might stay home in
November unless the Democratic Party shows it cares about them. If voters
simply line up behind Biden in the remaining states, there will be no
reason for Biden to endorse progressive policies. And all voters deserve a
choice: It shouldn=E2=80=99t just be those in early states who have the opt=
ion of
stating their desire for a social democratic agenda. Everyone deserves a
chance to weigh in, which they won=E2=80=99t get if Sanders quits and leave=
s the
race.

But finally, and most importantly, Sanders should stay in as much for
principle as for pragmatism. He needs to keep fighting as long as he can
because others have fought for him as long as they could.

There was Al Johnson, who made hundreds of calls for Sanders while dying in
his hospital bed
<https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1216405816888250368?lang=3Den>, a=
nd
there is James Williams, who spends
<https://twitter.com/ColeEscola/status/1237404723126419457> =E2=80=9Cevery =
breath I
have left=E2=80=9D working for Sanders, because he wants to make sure other=
s have
the kind of low-cost, high-quality health care that he himself never had.
Millions of people have devoted themselves to Bernie because they feel seen
by him in a way they have never felt seen by a politician before. They have
put their faith in him, and he has made them believe that a better and
fairer world is possible. He would be letting them down if he didn=E2=80=99=
t keep
up that fight until the end.

--=20

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-size:small"><fo=
nt face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000"><b><a href=3D"https://www.wash=
ingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/12/why-sanders-should-keep-fighting/" targe=
t=3D"_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/12/why-sanders=
-should-keep-fighting/</a><br></b></font></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"=
><b><font face=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D"4" color=3D"#000000"><br></font><=
/b></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D=
"4" color=3D"#000000"><b>Washington Post=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =
March 12, 2020</b><br></font></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><font face=
=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D"4" color=3D"#000000"><b><br></b></font></div><d=
iv class=3D"gmail_default"><font color=3D"#000000"><span style=3D"font-fami=
ly:georgia,serif"><font size=3D"6"><b>Why Sanders should keep fighting</b><=
/font></span></font></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><font color=3D"#0000=
00"><span style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><font size=3D"6"><b><br></b><=
/font></span></font></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><font color=3D"#0000=
00" face=3D"georgia, serif"><img src=3D"https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-a=
pps/imrs.php?src=3Dhttps://arc-anglerfish-washpost-prod-washpost.s3.amazona=
ws.com/public/JMGSRCDDYAI6VCUOLRJTNMZHMA.jpg&amp;w=3D1440" alt=3D"Sen. Bern=
ie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday in Burlington, Vt. (Salwan Georges/The Wash=
ington Post)" height=3D"315" width=3D"472" style=3D"margin-right:0px"></fon=
t></div><div class=3D"gmail_default"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgi=
a, serif"><b>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Wednesday in Burlington, Vt. (S=
alwan Georges/The Washington Post)</b></font></div><div class=3D"gmail_defa=
ult"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif"><b><br></b></font><div=
 style=3D"margin-bottom:24px;display:flex"><div style=3D"line-height:1.25;d=
isplay:inline-block"><div><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, serif" s=
ize=3D"4">By=C2=A0<span style=3D"font-weight:700">Nathan Robinson</span><sp=
an>=C2=A0</span></font></div></div></div><div style=3D"font-size:1rem;margi=
n-bottom:24px;line-height:1.25"><div><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgi=
a, serif"></font></div></div><div><div><div><p style=3D"margin:0px;padding-=
bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><i><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia, s=
erif" size=3D"4">Nathan Robinson is the editor of Current Affairs magazine =
and the author of =E2=80=9CWhy You Should Be A Socialist.=E2=80=9D</font></=
i></p></div><div><p style=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.7=
5"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000" size=3D"4">Just a few we=
eks ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was being declared almost=C2=A0<a href=
=3D"https://www.dispatch.com/zz/news/20200217/why-some-democrats-are-worrie=
d-bernie-sanders-could-be-unstoppable-for-2020-nomination" style=3D"text-de=
coration-line:none;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_bla=
nk">unstoppable</a>. Now, the label appears more appropriately applied to f=
ormer vice president Joe Biden. The Democratic primary isn=E2=80=99t over, =
but the path to a Sanders victory is narrow.</font></p></div></div><div><di=
v><p style=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font face=
=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000" size=3D"4">So should Sanders=C2=A0<a =
href=3D"https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=3Dhttps-3A__www.theatlan=
tic.com_politics_archive_2020_03_sanderss-2Dprimary-2Dlosses-2Dmichigan-2Da=
nd-2Dmississippi_607795_&amp;d=3DDwMFaQ&amp;c=3DRAhzPLrCAq19eJdrcQiUVEwFYoM=
RqGDAXQ_puw5tYjg&amp;r=3DT4w9xQ4Clyy94yXK4rcBB2JoieuBFEkfeDRxHOx6QdI&amp;m=
=3DrTq5BIh7Vz9WvjlYsmq3yRNJonpeODmZ5Vc75bjeq8c&amp;s=3DYQZ5VN-V6rl6oEFGz5wa=
l98S3nmErdPY5dkLr5Az6F0&amp;e=3D" style=3D"text-decoration-line:none;border=
-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_blank">give up</a>=C2=A0and =
go home? No, he needs to keep up the fight.</font></p></div><div><p style=
=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font color=3D"#000000=
" face=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D"4">Sanders has never been running just to=
 win. He=E2=80=99s also running to drag the Democratic Party to the left, t=
o forcefully confront the party establishment about its failures to address=
 working people=E2=80=99s issues, and to raise people=E2=80=99s awareness a=
bout the possibilities for progressive social change. Staying in the race a=
llows him to continue doing these things and more.</font></p><div><p style=
=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font face=3D"georgia,=
 serif" color=3D"#000000" size=3D"4">Even though Sanders lost back in 2016,=
 in an important way he still won. The party realized that Sanders voters r=
epresented a substantial portion of the electorate, and because Hillary Cli=
nton needed their support in November, Clinton=E2=80=99s wing of the party =
was forced to the negotiating table. As Jeff Stein=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://=
www.vox.com/2016/7/25/12281022/the-democratic-party-platform" style=3D"text=
-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_=
blank">noted</a>=C2=A0in Vox, Sanders =E2=80=9Cwon a string of concessions =
on the Democratic Party platform, pulling the party to the left on the mini=
mum wage, environmental regulation, marijuana legalization, and the war on =
drugs.=E2=80=9D The party=E2=80=99s official platform changed directly as a=
 result of Sanders=E2=80=99s success, with once-radical policies such as a =
$15 minimum wage becoming part of the Democratic agenda.</font></p></div><d=
iv><p style=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font face=
=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000" size=3D"4">In 2020, Sanders might be =
able to do the same with his signature policy, Medicare-for-all. Even in st=
ates that Sanders has been losing badly, single-payer health insurance has =
been=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/live-bl=
og/march-10-primaries-live-updates-democratic-presidential-candidates-face-=
6-n1153296/ncrd1154931#liveBlogHeader" style=3D"text-decoration-line:none;b=
order-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_blank">popular among th=
e majority of Democratic voters</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=94 thanks in part to Sander=
s=E2=80=99s years-long effort to build support for overhauling the insuranc=
e industry. The=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/=
02/28/what-you-need-know-about-coronavirus/?tid=3Dlk_inline_manual_10&amp;i=
tid=3Dlk_inline_manual_10" style=3D"text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom=
:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_blank">coronavirus</a>=C2=A0crisis =
has exposed the catastrophic failings of the U.S.=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://t=
witter.com/RottenInDenmark/status/1237842075745259524" style=3D"text-decora=
tion-line:none;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_blank">=
health-care system</a>=C2=A0and=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://twitter.com/AOC/sta=
tus/1237900019350421506" style=3D"text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:1=
px solid rgb(213,213,213)" target=3D"_blank">the social safety net</a>. Sta=
ying in the race gives Sanders the opportunity to explain how progressive s=
ocial policy can mitigate these disasters.</font></p></div><div><p style=3D=
"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font color=3D"#000000" f=
ace=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D"4">In 2016, Sanders succeeded at bringing th=
e Democratic Party around on crucial issues because he posed a threat to th=
ose who hold power within it. The more strength Sanders and his supporters =
show at the polls in 2020, the less tenable a moderate Democratic position =
will be. After all, if Biden is to have any hope of beating President Trump=
 in November, he will need to get Sanders=E2=80=99s voters to support him =
=E2=80=94 and that=E2=80=99s not going to be easy. A show of strength from =
the Sanders base of young progressives and independents could push Biden to=
 make serious concessions: commit to passing signature progressive policies=
 such as Medicare-for-all, a Green New Deal, free universal college tuition=
, and paid family and sick leave.</font></p><div><p style=3D"margin:0px;pad=
ding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D"georgia,=
 serif" size=3D"4">Critics say Sanders staying in the race will weaken Bide=
n in a general election, and that Democrats need to unify immediately again=
st Trump. But the more Sanders can put pressure on Biden to accommodate pro=
gressives, the more =E2=80=9Cunity=E2=80=9D will ultimately be achieved. We=
 all want to beat Trump. But if Sanders supporters are left bitter because =
Biden disregards their agenda, they are unlikely to pull together to =E2=80=
=9Cvote blue no matter who.=E2=80=9D</font></p></div><div><p style=3D"margi=
n:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font color=3D"#000000" face=3D=
"georgia, serif" size=3D"4">This is another reason to stay in the fight. Sa=
nders needs to amass as many votes as possible to make clear the number of =
people who might stay home in November unless the Democratic Party shows it=
 cares about them. If voters simply line up behind Biden in the remaining s=
tates, there will be no reason for Biden to endorse progressive policies. A=
nd all voters deserve a choice: It shouldn=E2=80=99t just be those in early=
 states who have the option of stating their desire for a social democratic=
 agenda. Everyone deserves a chance to weigh in, which they won=E2=80=99t g=
et if Sanders quits and leaves the race.</font></p></div><div><p style=3D"m=
argin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.75"><font color=3D"#000000" fac=
e=3D"georgia, serif" size=3D"4">But finally, and most importantly, Sanders =
should stay in as much for principle as for pragmatism. He needs to keep fi=
ghting as long as he can because others have fought for him as long as they=
 could.</font></p><p style=3D"margin:0px;padding-bottom:24px;line-height:1.=
75"><font face=3D"georgia, serif" color=3D"#000000" size=3D"4">There was Al=
 Johnson, who made hundreds of calls for Sanders while=C2=A0<a href=3D"http=
s://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1216405816888250368?lang=3Den" style=
=3D"text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213)" tar=
get=3D"_blank">dying in his hospital bed</a>, and there is James Williams,=
=C2=A0<a href=3D"https://twitter.com/ColeEscola/status/1237404723126419457"=
 style=3D"text-decoration-line:none;border-bottom:1px solid rgb(213,213,213=
)" target=3D"_blank">who spends</a>=C2=A0=E2=80=9Cevery breath I have left=
=E2=80=9D working for Sanders, because he wants to make sure others have th=
e kind of low-cost, high-quality health care that he himself never had. Mil=
lions of people have devoted themselves to Bernie because they feel seen by=
 him in a way they have never felt seen by a politician before. They have p=
ut their faith in him, and he has made them believe that a better and faire=
r world is possible. He would be letting them down if he didn=E2=80=99t kee=
p up that fight until the end.</font></p></div></div></div></div></div></di=
v></div>

<p></p>

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