Why can’t Sanders admit defeat? He’s looking more and more foolish as he denies Hillary’s victory

[Cali_Democrat]

Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton won a couple more primary races — in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands — expanding her already substantial lead over Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary contest. But Sanders refuses to give up the ghost, insinuating that he must, on some level, be the real winner and that this fight has to be taken to the convention so he can snatch the prize he clearly believes belongs to him, even as the voters continue disagreeing.

“Mr. Sanders,” the New York Times reports, “insists that the convention will be contested because he is still lobbying superdelegates — party officials and state leaders who cast their final votes at the convention — to withdraw support from Mrs. Clinton and back him instead.”

<...>

It’s a frustrating argument, because Sanders spent most of the campaign portraying superdelegates as some kind of corrupt elites there to deprive the popular winner of the vote. But now that Clinton is the clear winner of the popular vote, suddenly the superdelegates are legitimate again.

Calvinball antics during elections are hardly anything new — remember “hanging chads”? — but even by those standards, this is headache-inducing pretzel logic. It’s clear the only principle being employed by the Sanders camp is that the only rules that are legitimate are the ones that lead to his win.

Read more:

http://www.salon.com/2016/06/06/why_cant_sanders_admit_defeat_hes_looking_more_and_more_foolish_as_he_denies_hillarys_victory/

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. I give him 3 days after California.

After that, I agree with you.

[Hortensis]

24. It doesn't matter after the primaries, and it

will keep a lot of interest focused on the Democrats. Not the best kind, but if we were all holding hands and singing folk songs together, people'd change the channel. As it is, the nation has 5 months ahead of Trump's "You're a stupid doo-doo"s bouncing back and forth with Hillary's "The GOP nominee is dangerous and incompetent"s.

[tonyt53]

2. In the next publication of Merriam-Webster, under hypocrite will be a photo of Bernie.

[phleshdef]

33. Wow, such wit. Did you lay awake all night to think that one up?

[Live and Learn]

3. He's not a quitter like Hillary is. nt

[Cali_Democrat]

5. Now there's a powerful argument that will force superdelegates to switch to Bernie.

[hrmjustin]

10. .

[Lord Magus]

12. He is not a man of integrity like he claims to be.

Demanding to win even when he loses is unacceptable.

[Live and Learn]

16. He's got bucket loads of integrity over Hillary.

But it is pretty obvious that many here don't care about integrity.

[Lord Magus]

19. His flagrant superdelegate hypocrisy says otherwise. -nt-

[Live and Learn]

25. Really? That is worse that supporting illicit wars, private prisons, fracking, bad trade policies,

welfare reform and calling people "super-predators." You have a strange sense of integrity.

[LanternWaste]

29. I too pretend that people lack integrity simply for voting differently than me.

I too pretend that people lack integrity simply for voting differently than me.

Sure, it's irrational and unsupported babble that even an under-educated bumper-sticker would reject, but it allows us to maintain the pretense that only our side is righteous and pure. And lacking that child-like bias, we're left with nothing more than second-place.

[uponit7771]

43. Well, cept for those "southern states" which Weaver AND Divine declared he didn't compete in

[seabeyond]

4. " the only rules that are legitimate are the ones that lead to his win. "

Along with Sanders consistent and constant hypocrisy, this is something else we have learned about Sanders, consistently, thru out his campaign.

[AgingAmerican]

6. You are flummoxed

[NurseJackie]

7. I totally agree with this.

[Tropicalsox]

8. Because Clinton is under investigation by the FBI

If there is an indictment, it will be a very interesting convention.

[justiceischeap]

13. I think if Sanders really thought there'd be an indictment

he'd be shouting about it from the rooftops. I also suspect if anyone in the Democratic Party, including President Obama, thought there'd be an indictment, they'd have encouraged Clinton to drop out ages ago.

But you keep hoping for that indictment.

[Fumesucker]

20. You don't burn your sources and you don't tip your hand

If Sanders lets it be known that he has that knowledge then immediately the leaker is under a threat of one sort or another.

Also who would believe it? I can just imagine how such a claim would go down here on DU.

[justiceischeap]

28. Yes, that's Bernie. Going from I don't give a damn about her emails

to holding her indictment details close to the vest so he can spring it on the world right before the convention, thus, convincing all the SuperD's to switch to him and securing the nomination.

She's being embraced by way too many high-level politicians to be indictable. They'd run from her as fast as possible if they thought there'd even be an inkling of a possibility--particularly President Obama who looks like he's gearing up to hit the trail for her.

[Lord Magus]

21. When the indictment fairy is your campaign's only hope, it's time to hang it up. -nt-

[Hortensis]

27. Lol. So true. I was just thinking we need to be

nicer ourselves -- this next week is for all of us to get "it" out of our system -- not just SBSers, then more of this indictment nastiness. Tropicalsox, I notice you honored what is listed at least as your first post with this mean loser fantasy. Interesting.

I've never wished an innocent person into prison in my life, and never will. Despicable beyond expression.

[uponit7771]

44. +1

[TheFarseer]

9. Can't you wait one more day?

If Bernie doesn't amaze tomorrow, then I will be forced to agree with you that we came up a little short.

[BainsBane]

11. There is reporting that he may drop out after tomorrow night

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/msnbcs-kasie-hunt-hints-bernie-ready-to-drop-out-insiders-more-solemn-than-you-would-expect/

I have no problem with his staying in through California. After Clinton reaches a majority of pledged delegates (2026), he really needs to concede.

[beachbumbob]

14. Especially consider the breaking story on how Bernie jumped on

The Obama bandwagon ....when Obama was declared presumptive nominee with way less leads over Hillary....does sanders act this way because he is dealing with a female? Needs asking considering the lack of female staffers...

[larkrake]

31. he acts that way because she is bad for the country.

[beachbumbob]

34. It's bad for Bernie, he loses the big stage and the microphone

[Orsino]

15. It's called campaigning.

No one admits defeat until conceding, and Sanders has made clear he intends to arrive at the convention as a candidate, the better to leverage his delegates into influence.

That much is simple, though it certainly isn't conventional.

[Lord Magus]

22. Arriving at the convention as a candidate doesn't give him leverage.

It does however shut him out of having a speaking role at the convention, because nobody who's an active candidate is going to be allowed to speak on stage before the delegates' roll call vote.

[Orsino]

35. Yes, it does.

Wasserman-Schultz and Clinton aren't foolish enough to believe otherwise.

Conceding early could buy specific concessions, I assume, but arriving at the convention strong guarantees them.

[Lord Magus]

39. Taking it to the convention would result in him being considered hostile to the party as a whole.

He'd get no concessions in that circumstance and might not even be allowed in the door.

[Orsino]

42. He wouldn't be arriving alone.

He would be leading a stadium-load of delegates and supporters, representing millions more, all of whom both he and Clinton want to see united behind a nominee.

Revenge fantasies are childish.

[larkrake]

36. that doesnt matter. He doesnt need to speak

[Logical]

17. Says the poster that makes up stuff daily

[dmosh42]

18. Why didn't Hilary give up June 3, 2008, when the numbers showed Obama won?

[TheKentuckian]

23. He hasn't beckoned back to Bobby Kennedy's assassination so

he seems relatively fine compared to Clinton standards.

[highprincipleswork]

26. The enclosed video is why. Also because he is fighting for a just cause, and a cause that is

supported by roughly half the Democrats that currently exist.

[Lord Magus]

40. You sure do love your Russian propaganda it seems.

Why spam out that RT garbage in every post?

[highprincipleswork]

41. Cuz it's good, it's true, it's funny. Too much for you, huh?

[larkrake]

30. SDs are mostly corrupt elites, and the process tilts the scales. undemocratic

and only a fool would drop out before the SDs vote. A wise man follows through with a process, for the good of his country and doesnt even consider quitting his followers

Only the fearful push to sever the process. Hillary agrees its best to wait, so whats your problem, listening to media as your Gods?

[Saviolo]

32. It is possible

To think that the superdelegate system is corrupt, or at the very least less democratic (remember, almost all of the superdelegates declared for Hillary before a single vote had been cast, so it's a mystery how they knew the will of the people, yet), while at the same time knowing and acknowledging that they are part of the system within which he operates.

He's playing a game with a very complex set of rules. He doesn't like the rules and wishes they would change, and even wants to change them, but can't, yet. So when he gains a success within those rules, he celebrates.

TYT described superdelegates very well, I thought:

[LexVegas]

37. Ego? Doesn't like losing to a female candidate? nt

[Dem2]

38. Eh, let him have his time

If tomorrow goes as expected, attitudes will shift relatively quickly, there will be no reason to convince the voters to stick it out.