PHILADELPHIA ― Even though Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will not be the Democratic nominee, his supporters are still feeling the bern. And while the antipathy many Sanders voters feel toward Hillary Clinton is well documented, some of the senator’s fans see his endorsement of Clinton as just another example of Bernie staying true to his values.
“From the beginning, Bernie stated that he was going to run as a Democrat and that he would support the candidate ― whoever that would be,” Sharon Rhines, a 67-year-old retired teacher from Grand Rapids, Michigan, told The Huffington Post.
Rhines said that unlike some supporters, she doesn’t feel betrayed by Sanders himself. Rather, she said, her ire lies with the Democratic Party.
“They are so rigged, and so despicable that they had Hillary in place before the primaries even began,” she said, alluding to the recent leak of DNC emails suggesting the party favored Clinton over Sanders.
Amanda Sullivan, a 35-year-old computer programmer from West End, Florida, expressed similar sentiments.
Sanders “did what he had to do to support the Democratic Party,” she said.
“He feels grateful for the platform they’ve allowed him to have, and I understand that,” Sullivan continued. “So he is being courteous, he’s being respectful ― which is what we want in a president.”
Jack Prince, a 66-year old retired teacher from Michigan, touted Sanders as representing “an unique moment of possibility for our country.”
“Unlike any other candidate in my lifetime, he stands against the only integral problem ― and that is the money in politics,” Prince said. “His platform, his message, to break that bond between the political world and money, is the answer to everything. We’re going to see a corporatist put into the office of president [by] the name of Hillary Clinton and the same ol’ same ol’ is gonna roll.”
Prince said he still has hope that Sanders will turn against Clinton and break away from the Democratic Party. But when it comes to Sanders’ endorsement of Clinton, Prince said he feels let down.
“He has reasons why he endorses that he thinks are advantageous to his cause,” Prince said. “He’s playing his cards wrong right now ― but we both want the same outcome.”
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