2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumClinton allies try to entice Sanders with prime-time convention slot
The public push for Sanders to wrap up his campaign came after the Vermont senator dodged an opportunity to concede.
By Annie Karni
06/17/16 01:49 PM EDT
Hillary Clinton allies are beginning to put public pressure on Bernie Sanders to end his bid before the convention, suggesting the prospect of a prime time convention speech as an incentive.
If I were advising Sen. Sanders, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a longtime Clinton ally, said in an interview, I would say, youve done so fabulously, but theres one thing left you need to do and thats make a speech in prime time at the convention. You only do that if youre not contesting the nomination.
If Sanders waits to hold a roll call in Philadelphia on the Wednesday of the convention, the only speaking slots left would likely go to President Obama and the partys nominee. But if he conceded beforehand, Rendell said, Sanders would be in a position to demand a prime time slot on the stage at the Wells Fargo Center. A Clinton campaign spokesman would not discuss the internal convention negotiations underway with the Sanders campaign.
But the public push from Clinton allies for Sanders to wrap up his campaign came after the Vermont Senator on Thursday night dodged an opportunity to concede to Clinton. During a 23-minute livestreamed address, Sanders, speaking to supporters from Burlington, said that defeating Donald Trump cannot be our only goal. Network television stations cut away from Sanders as it became clear no concession was planned. We must continue our grassroots efforts to create the America that we know we can become, he said. And we must take that energy into the Democratic National Convention on July 25 in Philadelphia.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/bernie-sanders-convention-slot-enticement-224490#ixzz4BshKDrzg
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)Job #1 for Secretary Clinton *and her supporters* is to embrace the supporters of Senator Sanders. To NOT do so puts Secretary Clinton's election in peril. We do NOT want people to stay home in November because they feel alienated.
BootinUp
(47,138 posts)Peace in our lifetime!
CrowCityDem
(2,348 posts)Mike Nelson
(9,951 posts)...and agrees to give Hillary his support. If not, how about a big progressive primetime special/night with Warren and others like Bernie and Elizabeth?
msongs
(67,394 posts)Demsrule86
(68,539 posts)He needs to concede or no speech.