Ritu Jha-
Senator Bernie Sanders has suspended his campaign for the US Presidential 2020 race but his policies became mainstream says his supporters; former Vice President Joe Biden called his campaign a “movement.”
Sanders 89, acknowledging that Biden, running in the 2020 Presidential race, was too far ahead for him to have any reasonable hope of catching up, so he ended his presidential bid on Wednesday, April 8, and announced that he has withdrawn his campaign.
This was his second time running in the US Presidential race, both times he gained huge popularity but still fell short among the party line.
“The path toward victory is virtually impossible,” Sanders told supporters as he congratulated Biden. The former vice president is “A very decent man whom I will work with to move our progressive ideas forward.”
The Vermont senator’s supporters in California are heartbroken by his announcement to withdraw his campaign. Biden is now the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge President Donald Trump in November.
Biden, who served as the 47th vice president of the United States from 2009 to 2017 commended Sanders’ hard work and dedication in his statement on Biden wrote in Medium, “Bernie has put his heart and soul into not only running for President but for the causes and issues he has been dedicated to his whole life.”
Amar Shergill, the first South Asian-American to lead the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party and supporter of Senator Sanders told indica, “President Sanders is suspending his campaign but his progressive movement has succeeded more than anyone could have imagined when he began his presidential campaign in 2015.”
He continued, “Ideas that were not being discussed are now political mainstream; Medicare For All, College For All, $15 Minimum Wage, and more.”
Referring to what Senator Sanders said, he will continue to be on the ballot in upcoming primaries and encourages voters to cast their vote for him so that “we will continue to exert influence in reforming the Democratic Party.”
“It is clear that the threat of a continued Trump Presidency pushed voters to seek what was seen as a safe choice but Senator Sanders’ policies are more popular than ever with a majority of voters. I trust that former Vice-President will have the wisdom to amend his platform to attract the young voters, progressives, and people of color that supported Senator Sanders,” Said Shergill.
Ajaib Gill, sharing his thoughts about Sanders’ campaign suspension, told indica, The Democratic establishment quickly consolidated around Vice President Biden after South Carolina.
“Still, Bernie has successfully moved the Overton Window in American politics. Medicare for All, tuition-free higher education, the Green New Deal, and the cancellation of student debt are all mainstream issues now, and we may see some of those ideas implemented in the near future. That is an accomplishment Bernie supporter should feel proud of,” said Gill.
Sanders had used strong polling and solid fundraising—collected almost entirely from small donations made online. Like the first time, he attracted widespread support from young voters and was able to make new inroads within the Hispanic community, even as his appeal with African Americans remained small.
Even Biden wrote in his column on April 8, “Senator Sanders and his supporters have changed the dialogue in America. Issues which had been given little attention — or little hope of ever passing — are now at the center of the political debate. Income inequality, universal health care, climate change, free college, relieving students from the crushing debt of student loans…and pointed clearly that while Bernie and I may not agree on how we might get there, we agree on the ultimate goal for these issues and many more.”
