One day before the California primary, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called it “absolutely imperative” that voters turn out to defeat Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday and cast himself as the candidate best positioned to beat Trump.
“It is absolutely imperative that we defeat Donald Trump as a candidate for President of the United States. I believe I’m the stronger candidate,” Sanders told reporters in San Francisco, highlighting polls that shows him performing better than Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton against Trump.
“If the turnout is high tomorrow, we will win. If the turnout is very high, I think we will win by big numbers,” Sanders said.
He also called it “incomprehensible” that the presumptive nominee from a major political party is launching racially-charged attacks targeting a federal judge.
“[Trump] is essentially running his campaign on bigotry, on insulting Mexicans and Latinos, on insulting Muslims, on insulting African-Americans, on insulting women,” Sanders said. “It is clear to me that we have got to do everything that we can as a nation to make certain that Donald Trump does not become President of the United States.”
The Vermont senator was also visibly irritated when a reporter asked him to respond to critics who say it’s “sexist” for him to stay in the race, potentially “getting in the way of what could be the first female President.”
“Is that a serious question?” he replied with a laugh. “You question implies any woman, any person, who’s running for President is by definition the best candidate.”
This post has been updated.
Okay, long term Bernie supporters…what say you? All I’ve heard is that he’ll support the nominee, he’s a better man than that. I guess not. If he were the stronger candidate, he would be the nominee by winning primaries.
The delusion is strong and now I’ve had enough.
“It is absolutely imperative that we defeat Donald Trump as a candidate for President of the United States. I believe I’m the stronger candidate,” Sanders told reporters in San Francisco on Monday.
That’s a reasonable argument to make. I don’t agree with it, and neither will the superdelegates, but there’s nothing wrong with trying to make the case. It’s much better than banging on the corrupt Hillary drum.
He’s making it awfully tough to set up a write-in campaign, or even refrain from endorsing Hillary after the convention.
The fact that he’s talking like this is in itself testimony to the effectiveness of Clinton’s attack on Trump last week (and to the full horror of Trump’s own performance).
He believes he is the stronger candidate – but the problem is that the majority of democratic voters don’t believe it. This press conference does not seem like a show of strength. It seems desperate. He knows Hillary changed the dynamic by coming out last week as the presumptive nominee and attacking Trump so effectively. She showed voters that she is well qualified and can easily disassemble Trump. Bernie hasn’t really talked much about Trump yet – so now he has to do a “me too.” This press conference was nothing but free advertisement. No new information.
I have no doubt that he’s the stronger candidate (except that he gets fewer votes and pledged delegates and wins fewer states–except for all of that, he’s a much stronger candidate.)
He’s tried and failed to make his case. He lost.