The 2016 US Election (Part III)

[Dalton]

Pivot to the General.

The GOP nomination has been locked up by Donald Trump, seen by many to be a Washington outsider who will shake up the establishment, and by others to be a narcisisstic, bloviating showman without the temperament to lead the USA. Whatever the case, Trump has shown himself to be a master of media manipulation, redirecting criticisms with the deftness granted by a lifetime of being Donald Trump. With the latest controversy over his Judge Curiel comments, a number of prominent Republicans have either rescinded their endorsement or outright stated they won't vote for him, most notably Sen. Lindsey Graham. However, there are still many in the GOP who both condemn his remarks and see them as racist, but will vote for him anyway, the most visible of which is Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.

The Democrat nomination still goes on, with Hillary Clinton the presumptive nominee with more than the number of pledged delegates plus superdelegates needed to clinch the nomination, but Bernie Sanders has vowed to press on, perhaps even to the convention. Some are afraid he will Nader the election, or drag the focus away from the real opponent, and some are cheering him on and hoping to give him a louder voice on the floor. And with the (largely manufactured) scandals for the most part behind her, the Bernie or Bust crowd are still hoping for an indictment on the email server. With Sanders meeting with Obama this coming Thursday, will there be a backroom deal to get Sanders off the campaign trail and form an alliance with Hillary Clinton to fight Trump?

The stakes are high, and the electoral map is not very kind to the GOP. Recent polling is too early to give any clear indication, but show that Clinton and Trump are running a very close race right now. If the Democrats hope to stop the GOP, they must unify, and soon.

Let the discussion continue. Please keep shitposts to a minimum.

[Mr Bean]

Pivot to the General.
And with the (largely manufactured) scandals for the most part behind her, the Bernie or Bust crowd are still hoping for an indictment on the email server.

Correct here, the ongoing going on two year long FBI investigation into the Email Server and the Clinton Foundation, with Secretary Clinton IT guy receiving immunity in exchange for testimony to the FBI. It's been the Chekhov's gun this entire election season which merely waits for the time the FBI has decided to fire it.

As far as news I predict the next month and a week (Until the late July convention) will be dominated by Trump, Trump and more Trump with Secretary Clinton rarely getting mentioned and Senator Sanders exiled to the Shadow Realm because without the Democratic brew up talking about Trump is far more interesting than anything else as far as the media is concerned.

[Borgholio]

By waiting until this late date to deliver the indictment, would it not play right into the hands of the people who are (rightfully) saying that the whole email scandal is a GOP attempt to knock Hillary out of the race? Plus, what's to stop Obama from just pardoning her on the spot and publicly ripping the GOP a new one?

[Mr Bean]

By waiting until this late date to deliver the indictment, would it not play right into the hands of the people who are (rightfully) saying that the whole email scandal is a GOP attempt to knock Hillary out of the race? Plus, what's to stop Obama from just pardoning her on the spot and publicly ripping the GOP a new one?

Nothing stops President Obama from pardoning Hillary Clinton but it kinda requires an acknowledgement of guilt... and Congress can still impeach her which they can do... AND convict her which seeing as it takes a two thirds majority would be harder to almost impossible. But in the unlikely event that happens she could be depending on the impeachment results be barred from assuming the Presidency in which case her VP pick becomes President.

Also note the FBI investigation was FBI launched, the person leading it is a Republican appointed by President Obama and not some Issa shitty hit job but a career vet. If he's investigating it's because he's got something.

[Terralthra]

My prediction continues to be that, like then-Senator Clinton 8 years ago, Senator Sanders will take a few days to make some phone calls, take his meeting with President Obama, and talk things over with his staff to find a way to gracefully exit the race this week or next. He may wait until after the District of Columbia primary next week, in keeping with his position all along that every voter should get a chance to vote.

[Borgholio]

Whatever he does, I hope he is crystal clear that his supporters should vote for Clinton, since writing in his name on the ballot will only make it easier for Trump to win.

[Grumman]

Plus, what's to stop Obama from just pardoning her on the spot and publicly ripping the GOP a new one?

You can't make people vote for her. All this would do is prove that everything the GOP has been saying about her was right, that she really is corrupt and really is guilty.

It was bad enough when Ford pardoned his predecessor. Do you really think that the voting population would stand for the President pardoning a criminal so that she can be his successor? Would you even want them to?

[Borgholio]

How many people actually care about the email server? Do you really think hordes of Democrats would abandon her based on that alone?

[Elheru Aran]

How many people actually care about the email server? Do you really think hordes of Democrats would abandon her based on that alone?

I don't think *that* many people care, now. But like Benghazi before it, the Republicans won't hesitate one second to hit her over the head with it every chance they get... and Obama pardoning her would only make it far worse because why would he pardon an *innocent* person? And if he's pardoning a *guilty* person, why would someone like that be a good choice for President?

Nixon, at least, looked clean when he was elected...

[Knife]

How many people actually care about the email server? Do you really think hordes of Democrats would abandon her based on that alone?

Hard core Democrats are not 51% of the voting public. Any action like what is being proposed would sour her tentative support of the centrists and unaffiliated voters who the DNC needs to vote for Clinton. There are plenty of people who are going to 'hold their nose and vote Clinton so that Trump and/or the Republicans don't win' who could conceivably change their mind with such a hamfisted thing happened before the election.

[The Romulan Republic]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/08/politics/ ... index.html

(CNN)As the Democratic primary winds down to a close, Green Party likely nominee Dr. Jill Stein said she wanted Bernie Sanders supporters to "know that there's a plan B here to continue to fight that revolution."

Sanders went from a long-shot candidate to the head of a national progressive movement in months, and Stein said she believed many of his supporters, turned off by presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's record and a bruising primary season, might go Stein's way.
Jill Stein: The Democratic Party 'fakes left,' marches right
Stein offered condolences to Sanders supporters and praised Sanders for running a "revolutionary" movement that spoke to the issues she also cares about in an interview with CNN Tuesday evening.
"We are here in the event that they feel like they don't have a place to go," Stein said.
Stein, who was also the Green Party's 2012 nominee, said she viewed Sanders as a kindred revolutionary, battling the political establishment. She called Clinton's path to the nomination "a coronation" aided by the media and the Democratic Party.
Stein said that although Clinton and news organizations -- including CNN -- had declared her the presumptive Democratic nominee, it was up to Sanders' supporters not to accept that as the end of their movement.
"If Bernie endorses Hillary, I urge Bernie's supporters not to throw in the towel," Stein said.
Stein slammed Clinton, saying the former secretary of state does not have "a track record that has been good for women and children."
The fact that Clinton has become the first female presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic or Republican parties did not influence her either.
"We need not just someone who is born with a particular gender identity, but someone in the office who supports women," Stein said, pointing out that she was also a woman and a feminist running for president.
The likely Green Party nominee is pushing progressive positions, including eliminating student debt, cracking down on Wall Street and putting an end to military interventions overseas.
Stein said her campaign had no particular outreach plans set for Sanders' voters because she wanted to be "respectful of the Sanders campaign and his supporters."
She said she had reached out to the Sanders campaign to collaborate in the past many times and that he had never responded. She said that many of Sanders' supporters were instead seeking her out.
"It's very hard having a revolutionary campaign in a counter-revolutionary party," Stein said.

Granted, CNN isn't the best source these days, but based off of this... yeah, fuck Stein. She's trying to split the vote and risk making Dickless Donald President for her own gain. Apparently the fucking Greens learned nothing from Nader making Bush President in 2000.

And of course, what she's asking is at odds with the stance Bernie himself has held on the issue.

[Patroklos]

How many people actually care about the email server? Do you really think hordes of Democrats would abandon her based on that alone?

Most? This is already different from other Clinton corruption because its sourced from 1.) The very department she ran 2.) is being followed up by the FBI and 3.) both of those are doing so under the authority of Obama the Democrat vice a Congress full of Republicans.

The unbiased assessment of the State Department IG (as well as Clinton's active refusal to cooperate) has already soured centrists. If there was an actual indictment by the FBI even hard core Democrats will be squarely on the defensive. Hell, even a strong worded condemnation from FBI investigators short of an indictment will be fodder for any debate.

[The Romulan Republic]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/d-c-rutle ... 63216.html

ATTENTION CALIFORNIA VOTERS: Plans for suppressing California voters are in the works already.

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of voters who registered as “No Party Preference” (NPP) in order to be able to vote in the Democratic primary on June 7th, you need to watch this video:


A newly-trained California poll worker speaks out about her experience at her training session. She states that she and all other trainees were explicitly told to give provisional ballots to anyone registered NPP on election day. As we have seen in many other cases (Arizona, New York, etc.) provisional ballots can be thrown out. I repeat, there is no assurance provisional ballots will be counted.

This brave citizen followed up with her county registrar following her training to make sure the instruction she was receiving was accurate. It turns out she and all other poll worker trainees were being lied to. According to the county registrars office, NPP voters must fill out a “Democratic Cross-Over Ballot” in order for their votes to count, not a provisional ballot. It’s uncertain how widespread this attempt at disenfranchisement is, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Please share this with any California voters you may know.

A slightly old article, and I'm not sure how much credence to give it. But certainly disturbing nonetheless.

And since I supported Sanders and I know that some asshole will probably jump on this, I'll say up front that I am not suggesting that Clinton's win in California or her being the presumptive nominee is illegitimate. Shit like this would have to have happened on a very large scale for either of those things be the case, and there is no proof of it happening on that scale. Nor am I suggesting that Clinton was in any way involved in this.

However, issues like this should not be ignored, because they undermine the integrity of the democratic process and the public's trust in that process, and because we're supposed to have a right to have our fucking votes counted fairly, weather or not it changes the outcome.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/08/politics/ ... index.html

(CNN)As the Democratic primary winds down to a close, Green Party likely nominee Dr. Jill Stein said she wanted Bernie Sanders supporters to "know that there's a plan B here to continue to fight that revolution."

Sanders went from a long-shot candidate to the head of a national progressive movement in months, and Stein said she believed many of his supporters, turned off by presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's record and a bruising primary season, might go Stein's way.
Jill Stein: The Democratic Party 'fakes left,' marches right
Stein offered condolences to Sanders supporters and praised Sanders for running a "revolutionary" movement that spoke to the issues she also cares about in an interview with CNN Tuesday evening.
"We are here in the event that they feel like they don't have a place to go," Stein said.
Stein, who was also the Green Party's 2012 nominee, said she viewed Sanders as a kindred revolutionary, battling the political establishment. She called Clinton's path to the nomination "a coronation" aided by the media and the Democratic Party.
Stein said that although Clinton and news organizations -- including CNN -- had declared her the presumptive Democratic nominee, it was up to Sanders' supporters not to accept that as the end of their movement.
"If Bernie endorses Hillary, I urge Bernie's supporters not to throw in the towel," Stein said.
Stein slammed Clinton, saying the former secretary of state does not have "a track record that has been good for women and children."
The fact that Clinton has become the first female presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic or Republican parties did not influence her either.
"We need not just someone who is born with a particular gender identity, but someone in the office who supports women," Stein said, pointing out that she was also a woman and a feminist running for president.
The likely Green Party nominee is pushing progressive positions, including eliminating student debt, cracking down on Wall Street and putting an end to military interventions overseas.
Stein said her campaign had no particular outreach plans set for Sanders' voters because she wanted to be "respectful of the Sanders campaign and his supporters."
She said she had reached out to the Sanders campaign to collaborate in the past many times and that he had never responded. She said that many of Sanders' supporters were instead seeking her out.
"It's very hard having a revolutionary campaign in a counter-revolutionary party," Stein said.

Granted, CNN isn't the best source these days, but based off of this... yeah, fuck Stein. She's trying to split the vote and risk making Dickless Donald President for her own gain. Apparently the fucking Greens learned nothing from Nader making Bush President in 2000.

And of course, what she's asking is at odds with the stance Bernie himself has held on the issue.

Actually, Sanders has not explicitly ruled out a third-party run. He was asked, point-blank, about the possibility before a rally at Santa Monica on the 23rd of May. His only response was "Right now, our goal is to win the Democratic nomination." And he has not come out to rebuff Jill Stein since the curbstomping he received on Tuesday.

We are also receiving a clear picture that the one calling the shots in the Sanders campaign, the one who suggested the Democratic Party was to blame for the violence in Nevada, the one who lead the charge calling Clinton "unqualified," and the one who suggested that the Jimmy Kimmel show ask Donald Trump if he'd debate Bernie Sanders is none other than ... Bernie Sanders. There are no aides insulating Sanders from his campaign. Aides describe a candidate who is constantly on the phone, or e-mail, dictating everything right down to how much cash must remain in the campaign coffers at all times and the exact schedule of cities he will visit. He controls all of it, and he seems to harbor a deep, personal, resentment of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.

Bernie Sanders believes very fervently in his "revolution," and has clearly bought into the narrative that he's going to be the one that will personally bring this revolution to American politics. Which frightens me, honestly. Today he is meeting with Obama at the White House; and the one thing I want to see is the two of them standing in the Rose Garden, with Sanders being gracious, acknowledging that he's done, and joining Obama in throwing his support behind Clinton. I also want him, in the firmest language, to reject Stein instead of playing coy. Sanders is yesterday's news, but yesterday's over.

However, I would not put it past him to take Jill Stein up on her offer to come over to the Greens. Their political views are, pretty much, identical to his. It would allow him to live the dream of personally bringing his revolution to American politics, and leave him free to freely attack both the Republicans and the Democrats. And there are some blithering idiots who actually believe that this would be a good idea.

[The Romulan Republic]

Actually, Sanders has not explicitly ruled out a third-party run. He was asked, point-blank, about the possibility before a rally at Santa Monica on the 23rd of May. His only response was "Right now, our goal is to win the Democratic nomination." And he has not come out to rebuff Jill Stein since the curbstomping he received on Tuesday.

He seems to have recently fallen back on saying that whenever he gets a question about what he'll do after the primary. Basically saying he's not going to talk about that now because he has other priorities. Which isn't so unreasonable.

His campaign did directly state a while back that he would remain a Democrat and endorse Clinton if she won the nomination.

I don't know weather he has altered his position, but until he says so (rather than simply refusing to answer a question that's already been answered), I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

We are also receiving a clear picture that the one calling the shots in the Sanders campaign, the one who suggested the Democratic Party was to blame for the violence in Nevada,

What violence in Nevada?

I will never cease to hate this odious, vicious lie.

I've watched video of the event. Their was no violence. Well, I saw, in total, one person push a little against a barrier and then back off when security approached. And their was reportedly one Sanders supporter who grabbed a chair and was immediately stopped by other Sanders supporters.

Yes, their were some threats (at least some reportedly from out of state), which is inexcusable, but no actual violence.

the one who lead the charge calling Clinton "unqualified,"

He was quite clear, as I recall, that he was referring to her judgement or character, not her resume.

and the one who suggested that the Jimmy Kimmel show ask Donald Trump if he'd debate Bernie Sanders is none other than ... Bernie Sanders.

Clinton backed out on her promise of another debate, so Sanders challenged Trump (which he has every right to do- any citizen can debate any other citizen) instead. And it played pretty well for the Democrats in that when Trump backed out, it made him look like a total coward with no follow-through (hence my nicknaming him Dickless Donald).

My, what a terrible thing Sanders did.

There are no aides insulating Sanders from his campaign. Aides describe a candidate who is constantly on the phone, or e-mail, dictating everything right down to how much cash must remain in the campaign coffers at all times and the exact schedule of cities he will visit. He controls all of it, and he seems to harbor a deep, personal, resentment of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.

If he does, maybe it has something to do with the past several months of voter suppression, lies, character attacks, and being told he should quit the race. Just a theory.

Bernie Sanders believes very fervently in his "revolution," and has clearly bought into the narrative that he's going to be the one that will personally bring this revolution to American politics. Which frightens me, honestly. Today he is meeting with Obama at the White House; and the one thing I want to see is the two of them standing in the Rose Garden, with Sanders being gracious, acknowledging that he's done, and joining Obama in throwing his support behind Clinton. I also want him, in the firmest language, to reject Stein instead of playing coy. Sanders is yesterday's news, but yesterday's over.

I think portraying Sanders as some egomaniacal would-be dictator is a bit of a stretch.

As to what he should do tomorrow, campaigns take a while to wind down, a complete about-face overnight would make him appear a liar, and I would be disappointed in Sanders if he did not keep his promise to stay in through June 14th. to give all the voters a chance to have their votes heard. It won't make him the nominee, of course, but that's not the point to me. Its symbolic, and a matter of integrity.

I do think he should adopt a conciliatory tone, and concede formally and endorse Clinton after the DC primary.

However, I would not put it past him to take Jill Stein up on her offer to come over to the Greens.

He's not that stupid.

If I'm wrong, I assure you I will not defend him, nor respect him.

Their political views are, pretty much, identical to his. It would allow him to live the dream of personally bringing his revolution to American politics, and leave him free to freely attack both the Republicans and the Democrats. And there are some blithering idiots who actually believe that this would be a good idea.

Bernie is not interested in attacking the Democrats as a whole. He's interested in pulling the Democrats to the Left, against the establishment Democrats who back Clinton.

Anyway, I think I've made my feelings on the Bernie or Bust mentality quite clear already.

I also hope that I've made my feelings on Clintonites who keep making personal attacks on Sanders and his supporters while crying for unity quite clear.

Sanders has lost. What we need now is unity. Attacking the character of him and his supporters will not facilitate that. So knock it off unless you want Dickless Donald in the White House.

[Gandalf]

If Sanders goes Green, then what was the point of his revolution aside from personal aggrandisement?

[Mr Bean]

If Sanders goes Green, then what was the point of his revolution aside from personal aggrandisement?

He's not going Green Party, it provides little benefit to great cost.

[Gandalf]

Yeah, that's what makes the speculation so puzzling. He may as well try to be Trump's veep.

[Knife]

Yeah, that's what makes the speculation so puzzling. He may as well try to be Trump's veep.

But you said it yourself, SPECULATION. If he goes Green, I'll be shocked and lose respect for him. But I've seen nothing close to indicating he will besides wild speculation.

[Grumman]

Granted, CNN isn't the best source these days, but based off of this... yeah, fuck Stein. She's trying to split the vote and risk making Dickless Donald President for her own gain. Apparently the fucking Greens learned nothing from Nader making Bush President in 2000.

What part of the Bush presidency are you using as a boogeyman to demand people's unconditional loyalty? Be specific. Because if it's the Patriot Act and the Iraq War, you need to acknowledge the blatant doublethink inherent in acting like it's Ralph Nader's fault it happened and not the fault of the person who fucking voted for this bullshit.

[Thanas]

Sanders has decided not to call it quits.

Good job of helping Trump, asshole.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Sanders has stated he'll help Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump

Washington (CNN)The Democratic Party took giant steps toward party unity on Thursday as Bernie Sanders vowed to work together with Hillary Clinton to defeat Donald Trump in November and President Barack Obama formally endorsed Clinton for president.
Sanders' decision to continue his White House bid even after Clinton became the party's presumptive presidential nominee has had Democrats on high alert as they seek to quickly change gears and take on Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Sanders' first explicit promise on Thursday to join forces with Clinton to take on the Republicans this fall will help quell concerns among Democrats about divisions in the party.

Emerging from the White House after a meeting with Obama that lasted more than an hour, Sanders warned that a Trump presidency would be a "disaster" and that he would "work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become president of the Untied States."
"I look forward to meeting with (Clinton) in the near future to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1%," Sanders told reporters.
The senator thanked both Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for showing "impartiality" during the course of the Democratic campaign.
"They said in the beginning is that they would not put their thumb on the scales and they kept their word and I appreciate that very, very much," Sanders said.
He added that he will monitor a "full counting of the votes" in California, where Clinton won the Democratic primary contest on Tuesday. The results will show "a much closer vote," Sanders predicted.
Shortly after the meeting, the White House released a video in which Obama acknowledged Clinton's historic achievement of becoming the first woman to win a major party's nomination for president.
"I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said of Clinton, whom he defeated eight years ago.
In the video, Obama also thanked Sanders for running an "incredible campaign" and for shining a spotlight on issues such as economic inequality and the influence of money in politics.
Sanders' high-profile meeting with Obama and his public remarks afterward come just days after Sanders declared that he intends to continue his 2016 campaign. At a rally Tuesday night, Sanders had declined to acknowledge that Clinton had secured the necessary delegates to win her party's nomination. He vowed to forge ahead to the District of Columbia's primary next week, and then on to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Progressive senator expects Sanders will campaign with Clinton
The Sanders-Obama meeting Wednesday marked the two men's second White House sitdown this primary season and the fourth time they've spoken in the last month. Aides said Obama would work to move Sanders toward an acceptance of Clinton as the nominee.
Senior Democrats say it's unlikely Obama will make any joint appearances with Clinton before next week's primary, the final nominating contest this year. However, a formal Obama endorsement could come earlier -- perhaps as early as Thursday.
CNN Politics app
Warren: Trump like Ryan, McConnell in GOP's 'full-scale assault' on judiciary
White House officials hoped Obama could prod the Vermont senator toward eventually acting as a unifying figure for the Democratic Party.
"My hope is, is that over the next couple of weeks, we're able to pull things together," Obama told Jimmy Fallon during a taping of "The Tonight Show" Wednesday. "The main role I'm gonna be playing in this process is -- to remind the American people that this is a serious job. You know, this is not reality TV. I've seen the decisions that have to be made. And the work that has to be done. And I have a lot of confidence that if the American people are reminded of what's at stake and all the incredible important issues that we gotta get right, that they're gonna make a good choice. That's what they usually do."
Thursday has the potential to shed even more light on the senator's intentions and state of mind as the general election kicks off in earnest.
Sanders will meet with Biden this afternoon at the Naval Observatory, according to sources. The vice president does not plan to make any endorsements before those conversations, one aide said.
Sanders will also sit down in the afternoon with his long-time friend and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who has publicly said Sanders should "give up."
Reid wants to listen to what Sanders has to say and is not interested in strong-arming his colleague, according to a source familiar with Reid's thinking. The source added that Reid believes Sanders can be helpful in Senate races, including in raising money, and is open to any number of ways to unite the party.
In the evening, Sanders will attend a campaign rally in Washington.
Donald Trump's ground game
Since clinching her party's nomination, Clinton has stuck to a conciliatory tone when it comes to her rival.
In her victory speech in Brooklyn Tuesday night, Clinton congratulated Sanders for an "extraordinary campaign" and sought to reach out to his supporters.
"Let there be no mistake: Sen. Sanders, his campaign, and the vigorous debate that we've had about how to raise incomes, reduce inequality, and increase upward mobility, have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America," Clinton said.
As a part of an overarching strategy to bring Sanders fans into the fold, the Clinton campaign and its surrogates have no plans to call on the senator to get out of the race.
"Bernie Sanders has really done a great job for our country, for our democracy, certainly for the Democratic Party and for young people," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday. "Now, what's the next step? That's really up to him. He deserves the time."
Warren, with an eye on Sanders, moves closer to Clinton endorsementWashington (CNN)The Democratic Party took giant steps toward party unity on Thursday as Bernie Sanders vowed to work together with Hillary Clinton to defeat Donald Trump in November and President Barack Obama formally endorsed Clinton for president.
Sanders' decision to continue his White House bid even after Clinton became the party's presumptive presidential nominee has had Democrats on high alert as they seek to quickly change gears and take on Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Sanders' first explicit promise on Thursday to join forces with Clinton to take on the Republicans this fall will help quell concerns among Democrats about divisions in the party.

Emerging from the White House after a meeting with Obama that lasted more than an hour, Sanders warned that a Trump presidency would be a "disaster" and that he would "work as hard as I can to make sure that Donald Trump does not become president of the Untied States."
"I look forward to meeting with (Clinton) in the near future to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1%," Sanders told reporters.
The senator thanked both Obama and Vice President Joe Biden for showing "impartiality" during the course of the Democratic campaign.
"They said in the beginning is that they would not put their thumb on the scales and they kept their word and I appreciate that very, very much," Sanders said.
He added that he will monitor a "full counting of the votes" in California, where Clinton won the Democratic primary contest on Tuesday. The results will show "a much closer vote," Sanders predicted.
Shortly after the meeting, the White House released a video in which Obama acknowledged Clinton's historic achievement of becoming the first woman to win a major party's nomination for president.
"I don't think there's ever been someone so qualified to hold this office," Obama said of Clinton, whom he defeated eight years ago.
In the video, Obama also thanked Sanders for running an "incredible campaign" and for shining a spotlight on issues such as economic inequality and the influence of money in politics.
Sanders' high-profile meeting with Obama and his public remarks afterward come just days after Sanders declared that he intends to continue his 2016 campaign. At a rally Tuesday night, Sanders had declined to acknowledge that Clinton had secured the necessary delegates to win her party's nomination. He vowed to forge ahead to the District of Columbia's primary next week, and then on to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
Progressive senator expects Sanders will campaign with Clinton
The Sanders-Obama meeting Wednesday marked the two men's second White House sitdown this primary season and the fourth time they've spoken in the last month. Aides said Obama would work to move Sanders toward an acceptance of Clinton as the nominee.
Senior Democrats say it's unlikely Obama will make any joint appearances with Clinton before next week's primary, the final nominating contest this year. However, a formal Obama endorsement could come earlier -- perhaps as early as Thursday.
CNN Politics app
Warren: Trump like Ryan, McConnell in GOP's 'full-scale assault' on judiciary
White House officials hoped Obama could prod the Vermont senator toward eventually acting as a unifying figure for the Democratic Party.
"My hope is, is that over the next couple of weeks, we're able to pull things together," Obama told Jimmy Fallon during a taping of "The Tonight Show" Wednesday. "The main role I'm gonna be playing in this process is -- to remind the American people that this is a serious job. You know, this is not reality TV. I've seen the decisions that have to be made. And the work that has to be done. And I have a lot of confidence that if the American people are reminded of what's at stake and all the incredible important issues that we gotta get right, that they're gonna make a good choice. That's what they usually do."
Thursday has the potential to shed even more light on the senator's intentions and state of mind as the general election kicks off in earnest.
Sanders will meet with Biden this afternoon at the Naval Observatory, according to sources. The vice president does not plan to make any endorsements before those conversations, one aide said.
Sanders will also sit down in the afternoon with his long-time friend and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, who has publicly said Sanders should "give up."
Reid wants to listen to what Sanders has to say and is not interested in strong-arming his colleague, according to a source familiar with Reid's thinking. The source added that Reid believes Sanders can be helpful in Senate races, including in raising money, and is open to any number of ways to unite the party.
In the evening, Sanders will attend a campaign rally in Washington.
Donald Trump's ground game
Since clinching her party's nomination, Clinton has stuck to a conciliatory tone when it comes to her rival.
In her victory speech in Brooklyn Tuesday night, Clinton congratulated Sanders for an "extraordinary campaign" and sought to reach out to his supporters.
"Let there be no mistake: Sen. Sanders, his campaign, and the vigorous debate that we've had about how to raise incomes, reduce inequality, and increase upward mobility, have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America," Clinton said.
As a part of an overarching strategy to bring Sanders fans into the fold, the Clinton campaign and its surrogates have no plans to call on the senator to get out of the race.
"Bernie Sanders has really done a great job for our country, for our democracy, certainly for the Democratic Party and for young people," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday. "Now, what's the next step? That's really up to him. He deserves the time."
Warren, with an eye on Sanders, moves closer to Clinton endorsement

Honestly, if sticking it out until every primary vote has been cast will hurt Hillary she's fucked against Trump regardless.

[Crown]

Sanders has decided not to call it quits.

Good job of helping Trump, asshole.

If that were the criteria candidates were deciding on whether to stay in the race or not, Hillary should have dropped out months ago. Sanders destroys Trump in the general.

What we're potentially facing is a fight out by the two most disliked nominees in the history of Presidential elections. Fascinating.

[Flagg]

Sanders has decided not to call it quits.

Good job of helping Trump, asshole.

Sanders is like the guy Deadpool is after while in the Zamboni.

[Mr Bean]

Sanders has decided not to call it quits.

Good job of helping Trump, asshole.

Are you neglecting the fact Senator sanders had a 1-1 meeting with President Obama then came back out to annouce he's still for sure running until the Convention is held?

Rather... interesting result from that meeting wouldn't you say?