There’s no hurry for Bernie

President Obama couldn’t wait to formally and officially endorse Hillary Clinton after she decisively won the California Democratic primary on June 7. But California was not the last primary. California was not the last contest.

{mosads}The last primary and the final contest was the following Tuesday, June 14. On that day, the nominating season ended. It was the date of the District of Columbia’s Democratic Party.

For seven-and-a-half years, Obama has treated D.C. with no respect. He continued his pattern of giving the District the back of his hand. So what if the D.C. Democrats had not voted? To Obama, D.C. apparently stands for “doesn’t count.” He could have waited until the most loyal and faithful Democratic Party constituency — 76 percent of the District’s registered voters are Democrats — had its say.

It might have been a way to say thank you to D.C. Democrats for their continuous, stupendous support. After all, he had carried every precinct in the D.C. primary in 2008. He racked up astounding percentages in the two general elections when his name was on the ballot (92 percent in 2008, 91 percent in 2012). But no, Obama was in a big hurry to endorse the presumptive nominee.

Gratitude and appreciation to D.C. Democrats was not in the cards.

Former United States Sen. and former Democratic National Party Chairman Paul Kirk (Mass.) spoke for all Bernie Sanders voters with the following words: “I thought they’d give him the grace to finish out what he pledged to do, which is take his campaign to the final contest.”

The choice of the word “grace” was so right, so perfect.

There now seems to be an overwhelming sentiment to not allow Sanders to continue his campaign all the way to the Democratic convention in Philadelphia next month — even though Sanders won 22 contests and received 12 million votes, produced more individual donors and contributions than anyone else in the history of American politics. Even though his rallies were enormous and attracted young, first-time voters who are essential for Democrats to win in November. Even though he spoke for the little guy and not the vested interests. Even after all of that, many are urging him to wrap it up and leave the stage.

Sanders has earned the right to go to the convention in Philadelphia and have his name placed in nomination and let his ardent and dedicated supporters and delegates (1,879 of them) proudly cast their votes for him.

Why should he fold now?

There is plenty of time to endorse Clinton. He can do it at the convention. There, it will have more impact.

All the issues he spoke and fought for, he has a right to speak and fight for in the party platform. Why give up his leverage? Issues and ideas are what his campaign was all about in the first place.

Sanders has injected energy and enthusiasm into the Democratic Party. He has moved it ideologically where it belongs. He has actually made Clinton a better candidate.

He has said that “defeating [presumptive GOP nominee] Donald Trump cannot be our only goal. We must continue our grassroots efforts to create the America that we know we can become.”

Let Sanders have his day. Let him stand in the sunlight. Don’t relegate him to the side and push him to the curb. Hillary Clinton cannot win, and will not win, without Bernie Sanders and his supporters.

That’s the political reality. In the days ahead, give him space and time to bow out on his terms.

He deserves nothing less.

Plotkin is a political analyst, a contributor to the BBC on American politics and a columnist for The Georgetowner.