Bernie Sanders Won’t Drop Out

Even amidst a national crisis, he refuses to do the right thing.

James Joyner · · 17 comments

Despite Joe Biden’s unbroken string of victories starting with South Carolina and it being all but mathematically impossible for him to catch up, Bernie Sanders intends to continue his quixotic campaign. It’s time for the Democratic Party to stop humoring him.

WaPo (“Bernie Sanders Plans to Participate in Next Debate, Campaign Says“):

Senator Bernie Sanders plans to participate in the Democratic presidential debate in April if one is held, his campaign said on Tuesday, the strongest indication yet that he plans to continue competing against Joseph R. Biden Jr. in the 2020 primary for the foreseeable future. The Democratic National Committee has said previously that there would be a debate in April, but one has not been scheduled. The committee has not announced a media partner or a site host — critical elements that are typically agreed upon at least a month in advance. The coronavirus crisis has already upended most facets of the Democratic primary, and there is no guarantee that the debate will take place. Still, the fact that the Sanders campaign is signaling, for now, that he would be on a debate stage in April is a strikingly public sign of the Vermont senator’s determination to wield political influence and challenge Mr. Biden for primacy despite the former vice president’s nearly insurmountable delegate lead. “Senator Sanders is still running for president,” said Mike Casca, a top campaign official. “If there is a debate in April, he plans to be there.”

Holding additional debates, let alone additional in-person primaries, during this pandemic would literally put lives at risk. Given that there is no offsetting necessity, they therefore shouldn’t be held.

Frankly, I’m not sure there would be any value to more debates even notwithstanding the COVID-19 outbreak. Biden should be focused like a laser on defeating President Trump, not a nuisance candidate to his left.

The party should not host another debate this cycle. If it does, Biden should decline the invitation. Let Sanders rant all he wants.