Senator Bernie Sanders scored a major victory in his fight against the Clinton political machine Tuesday night in the Indiana primary. Even with that victory the Hillary Clinton friendly media is still calling for Sanders to suspend his campaign and drop out of the race. “Staying in this race, aren't you effectively making it harder for the Democrats to beat the man who you say would be so bad?” inquired CNN’s Dana Bash to Sanders over the phone.
“Well, you’ve already conceded the race for me and I don’t accept that concession. Thank you Dana, but I don’t quite agree with you. We are in this race to win,” responded the Democratic underdog. Sanders has gotten used to having to fend off the media who favor Clinton over him. Bash commented that it was charming that he wants the remaining states to have a voice but, “tonight we have a new political reality as Jake was just saying, where you have a presumptive Republican nominee and a general election for him is very much beginning.”
Calls like these are going to grow more and more common for Sanders as he continues to try and shape the party platform. “We win in almost every election, every state caucus or primary, people 45 years of age or younger,” Sanders explained to Bash, “They are the future of the Democratic Party.”
Bash seemed to almost plead with Sanders when she invoked a recent general election strategy shared by the Trump campaign:
“Trump's campaign manager, Cory Lewandowski said late week that their campaign is ready to bring in anyone who feels the Bern, and that movement that you have started, into the Trump campaign if they're not inclined to support Hillary Clinton. I understand that you say that this is not over, and it is not over and you're going to continue down the road. But this is a very real thing that the Trump campaign is doing. And do you think, and do you worry they might have success?”
Sanders still has a fight ahead of him and it’s not just against Hillary Clinton. It’s against her buddies in the liberal media.
Transcript below:
CNN
America’s Choice 2016: Indiana Primary
May 3, 2016
11:09:30 PM EasternDANA BASH: Senator, just picking up on what you were just talking about, that's a totally understandable argument, that the democratic voters and all of the upcoming states should have a chance for their voices to be heard. But tonight we have a new political reality as Jake was just saying, where you have a presumptive Republican nominee and a general election for him is very much beginning. You said earlier tonight about Donald Trump, this is a man who does not have the demeanor, does not have the policy background or the ideas to become the president of the United States.
BERNIE SANDERS: Absolutely.
BASH: So, staying in this race, aren't you effectively making it harder for the Democrats to beat the man who you say would be so bad?
SANDERS: Well, you’ve already conceded the race for me and I don’t accept that concession. Thank you Dana, but I don’t quite agree with you. We are in this race to win. And what I have said time and time again is, what our campaign has succeeded in doing, in a way that the Clinton campaign has not done.
We win in almost every election, every state caucus or primary, people 45 years of age or younger. Secretary Clinton does very, very well with older people. The idea that we are fighting for are the future of America. They are the future of the Democratic Party. And by the way, by the way, what we have done is excite an entire generation of people. Working people and young people, who are now getting involved in the political process.
I think when we go to California, when we go to Oregon, when we go to New Mexico, and we go to all the remaining states. And we have a serious debate on serious issues, I think it generates enthusiasm, gets people involved in the political process, results in a higher voter turnout. Democrats win when the voter turnout is high.
BASH: And Senator, no question you're bringing new people into the fold. And you and your campaign also, rightly, often point out you do well in open primaries, like Indiana was tonight, because there's independent voters.
On that note, Trump's campaign manager, Cory Lewandowski said late week that their campaign is ready to bring in anyone who feels the Bern, and that movement that you have started, into the Trump campaign if they're not inclined to support Hillary Clinton. I understand that you say that this is not over, and it is not over and you're going to continue down the road. But this is a very real thing that the Trump campaign is doing. And do you think, and do you worry they might have success?
SANDERS: No, I don’t
