If you want to know why some people, like me, encouraged Bernie Sanders to stay in the race and accumulate as many delegates as possible, maybe you can understand now. The race certainly got bogged down in some stupid stuff, and I began to lose patience with some Bernie supporters who didn’t have a decent grip on reality, but progressive Democrats can’t really argue with the results.
On Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton released a new health care policy proposal that emphasized several major progressive priorities, including a public option and increased funding for community health centers.
In the proposal, Clinton pledged:
To give Americans in every state a “public option” health insurance plan
To let Americans as young as 55 years old opt in to Medicare
And to double funding for primary care services at community health centers
Meanwhile, Sanders also won some victories on the party platform, including a commitment to a $15/hour minimum wage.
Sanders is happy with the results and reportedly will be endorsing Clinton on Tuesday in New Hampshire.
Indeed, in a press call after Clinton’s announcement, Sanders described her health care proposal as an “extremely important initiative” and “an important step forward” — and emphasized that it was made “after discussions with our campaign.”
Sanders also praised Clinton’s new plan to encourage free tuition at public universities, which she announced Wednesday. He called the plan, which was deeply influenced by his own ideas, “a very profound proposal” that would help “revolutionize the funding of higher education in America.”
“I think it’s fair to say,” Sanders went on, “that the Clinton campaign and our campaign are coming closer and closer together in trying to address the major issues facing this country.”
The late stages of the campaign were intensely unpleasant, but that was the price of maximizing his power and influence.
It was worth it.
