Bernie gave the best non-concession concession he could tonight.

[moriah]

I think he would have spoken more on unity. If he could. And it's appropriate that an electorate as large as DC gets to have some semblance of a primary, too.

Before he got onstage, the crowd had been shouting "BS" even as CNN commentators were making it clear (had the rally crowd been able to hear vs see the stuff CNN put up as captions and totals) that early results would be skewed toward Clinton and meant nothing due to it already being known that was the mail-in ballot totals (and knowing they ran heavily Clinton).

There was a small boo for Obama, and a much larger one for Hillary mentions.

And he did hold up his hand for silence.

The people there were chanting Bernie or Bust. He said it wasn't about "Bernie" and echoed Hillary's slogan about standing together. That was the most this crowd was ready for.

He emphasized that "the struggle continues" -- and I think that's going to be his exit theme. "I am not the struggle, you are the struggle. Only when you stop fighting for the vision of America we see does the struggle end."

Well done, Bernie. Sincerely.

[writes3000]

1. Agree. He will fight hard to affect the party platform.

[Doctor Jack]

2. I agree. I think he trying to prep his supporters...

For an incorperation of his campaigns message into the democratic party. He probably thinks too many would just give up if he dropped out right now.

[MohRokTah]

3. I think there must have been two different speeches.

The speech yu describe and the one I watched are completely different.

[hill2016]

7. no

it wasn't defiant. he didn't speak of rigged elections etc. he didn't bash Clinton.

he just say that he is going to fight for justice in Philly but he didn't say he's going to fight for the nomination. not sure what "steep climb" means though. Maybe channeling MLK Jr (mountaintop)?

[moriah]

8. I was watching CNN coverage.

Admittedly some was choppy, but in the hours before Bernie spoke tension was getting higher in the rally room obviously.

He spoke about policies, ideas, visions for the future, the vitality of the young people who voted for him. All of that was necessary and got good reactions.

But after a clear "Bernie or Bust" chant could be heard during an applause break, shortly after he says something about it not being about "Bernie", but being about the vision for the future they shared.

[highprincipleswork]

10. Yeah, well you probably want to "shake him off" and his supporters with him. Or perhaps you'd

like to crush them like a fly.

You may try, but we're not going to just allow those things.

Bernie is representing a movement, and it's a movement that does not want to stop. It's a movement calling for traditional Democratic values, so what are the people opposing it in the Democratic Party really saying? Like you, for instance?

Bernie promises not to stop representing those people or those values, and that's what we like to hear. What you do with it or Hillary does with it, etc., that is your business.

If Hillary and Obama are smart, i believe they will cooperate in giving to Bernie and his supporters the proper respect they have earned by achieving almost 50 % of the vote while coming from basically nowhere. Like I say, if they are smart. This is not a small force, and among other great achievement showed how you can finance a valid presidential campaign without begging for corporate money.

If they are smart they will do their thing in bashing Trump, they will meet with Bernie and his campaign and talk turkey about what it will take to get him onboard in leading his followers into the general election.

I'm waiting to see if they are smart or just love poking their fingers in the eyes of people who should be in the same party.

[MohRokTah]

11. He's now irrelevant.

What he has to say becomes more meaningless every y from here on in.

[highprincipleswork]

12. Good, then ignore him, and I'll have more opportunity to ignore those who ignore him and what he

stands for.

[MohRokTah]

13. The media will certainly start ignoring him now.

He's now relegated to being like Ted Cruz at the sorry end of his sorry campaign.

[Ken Burch]

17. You're hurting your candidate by being like this.

I'm pretty sure she'd want you to knock it off with the dismissiveness and the snark at this point.

[moriah]

19. You're absolutely right. I didn't want to see that crap in this thread.

I want us to defeat Trump.

[JI7]

18. Hillary isn't ignoring him

[The_Casual_Observer]

4. Absolutely true

[One Black Sheep]

5. yep, great speech, struck the perfect tone.

[JI7]

6. most importantly he has been making clear that Trump WILL NOT be President

[moriah]

9. Absolutely!

Again..

[musicblind]

16. I loved that part. You can tell he means it too.

If Hillary COULD get him to be a stump person against Trump, even if he doesn't hardcore endorse her but just goes after Trump, he would be amazing. People would come from miles and miles away just to listen to him sock it to that orange puppet.

Man, the Sanders vs Trump debate would have been epic. We all lost out when that got canceled.

[moriah]

20. I have no doubt Bernie will be out stumping against Trump.

It is only fair to wait for DC, an electorate with a higher population than some states, to vote before potentially being seen as "giving up" on his supporters.

His goal, personally and for the country and the party, is that this movement does not stop with him. He might even make the slightly self-deprecating statement (far better said by him) is that if the movement stops with Bernie himself it's pretty unlikely to last 25 years. He sort of went there talking about his faith in the future of the country if so many young people were getting involved, he can elaborate on the necessity of not thinking the "revolution" will only succeed if he wins the election.

The real quest for change, the struggle, will only end when the last person stops fighting for it. He isn't the revolution. All his supporters are, and must continue to keep up the struggle even under a Clinton administration.

And a Trump administration would be disastrous.

[eastwestdem]

14. If he stops attacking Hillary, the DNC and the Democratic Party, he can stay in as long as he

wants. Might be fun to watch.

[musicblind]

15. I thought it was a good speech and a fair speech.

I could see hints of unity in it, but I also see a man who has fought hard for what he believes in and he wants DC to have a voice. It also gives him a week to prepare for an even better speech.

Bernie is a great man and will be remembered as an American hero. And a large part of why is because I think he will indeed end up reaching out for unity as well as influencing the party platform for years to come.

He is right. The struggle does continue. Not just for Sanders supporters or Clinton supporters but for all of us. We all want the American dream to be a reality once again.

[democrattotheend]

21. I don't know why people are being so hard on him

If he had gone up and given a speech attacking Hillary, it would be one thing, but he didn't.

[moriah]

22. Exactly. He isn't giving up on his supporters. That's all. Nt