Clinton's Victory, Sanders' Support

Finally, Senator Bernie Sanders, a contender for the presidency who entered the race as an independent senator from the small state of Vermont but under the Democratic Party banner, endorsed his electoral rival Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, July 12. He ended his competition with this political figure to combine their efforts to defeat Donald Trump, the Republican rival, who appears more dangerous than expected and whose chances of victory are not as slim as suggested. The 74-year-old senator, who has presented himself as a democratic socialist over the past year during the election campaign, emphasized that he will do everything in his power to ensure Hillary Clinton's victory and her election as the next president. CNN immediately commented after the endorsement ceremony that there was a lack of the natural warmth and tension that is essential for such political alliances between the two former rivals. Nevertheless, Bernie Sanders' withdrawal from the intra-party competition, especially before the party convention, was not only Hillary Clinton's wish but also the insistence of the party leadership to present a united front against the Republicans. Furthermore, Mrs. Clinton needs to win the votes of Sanders' supporters to strengthen her position in the upcoming November elections. Polls indicate that only 11% of young Bernie Sanders supporters will vote for Hillary Clinton, which is not a significant percentage. The Democratic candidate herself has admitted that she needs to work harder to attract young voters, and it remains uncertain whether this goal can be achieved in the four months remaining until the election. However, electoral and political experts say that even a slight increase in this number of voters who will cast their ballots for Mrs. Clinton would be a source of happiness. The Hill newspaper in Washington reported that in the political negotiations between Clinton and Sanders, which began a month ago, more concessions have been granted to Senator Sanders, such as his emphasized programs like free college education and increased funding for social health centers. Now, Jeff Weaver and Robbie Mook, the campaign managers of the two former rivals, must employ subtle strategies of cooperation to attract Sanders' supporters to Hillary's camp after agreeing on policies to be announced at the convention. Other players in the Democratic Party have also become involved in this important issue, such as Senator Charles Schumer, who will take over the leadership of Senate Democrats in Congress after the upcoming elections and the retirement of Senator Harry Reid. The Hill newspaper on Tuesday referenced a new poll regarding Senator Sanders' support for Clinton, stating that as Democrats had predicted, Sanders' supporters have rallied around Clinton. However, the fate of the votes from the states and electoral colleges that Bernie Sanders surprisingly won during the primaries remains unclear, and it is possible that, as Donald Trump has claimed, a significant percentage of them may turn to the Republican candidate. In the meantime, what has fundamentally influenced the Democratic Party's policies and pushed it further left has been Sanders' campaign efforts and his success in spreading slogans about economic inequalities in American society and the need to address (in his view) the injustices in income distribution, which, according to the Huffington Post, formed the chain of connection between him and a portion of the voters. Throughout the primary election campaign, Sanders tried to convince voters that Hillary Clinton is too reliant on the interests of big corporations and powerful financial institutions on Wall Street and cannot safeguard the interests of the working class. This criticism has also been leveled by Donald Trump against his Democratic rival, repeatedly emphasizing it and thereby gaining the support of white working-class voters in industrial states. Democrats who have heard and believed these similar slogans from Sanders and Trump may turn towards Trump on voting day, but the Huffington Post quotes an expert and analyst stating that regardless of campaign slogans, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were actually contesting a fundamental yet simple issue: whether the future president can remove or at least weaken the barriers that exist in American politics against the liberal agenda. Sanders' answer to this question is positive, while Clinton's is negative, and informed voters will discern the meaning of this statement and its correctness or incorrectness. In any case, what is clear and confirmed by observers of the U.S. presidential election is that Senator Bernie Sanders' support for Hillary Clinton will undoubtedly strengthen the Democratic candidate's chances of reaching the White House and achieving the title of "the first female president in U.S. history."