Democratic strategist: What Bernie Sanders needs to do before ending campaign
Highlights:
- Jamal Simmons on Bernie Sanders' most fervent supporters: "I think that Bernie Sanders is riding a tiger. And that tiger has fangs, and teeth, and they come after anybody that gets in their way."
- Terry Sullivan on Bernie Sanders continuing to campaign: "There's no logical mathematical way for him to be the nominee of the Democratic Party and he's going to further alienate himself to folks who just want to go beat Donald Trump."
Bernie Sanders is not dropping out of the presidential race, despite Joe Biden's large delegate lead, but that may have more to do with his supporters than his belief that he can actually win the nomination. Democratic strategist and CBS News analyst Jamal Simmons compared Sanders' base to a "tiger," and said that the senator needs to calm his fervent supporters before ending his campaign.
"I think that Bernie Sanders is riding a tiger. And that tiger has fangs, and teeth, and they come after anybody that gets in their way," Simmons told CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett in an interview for this week's episode of "The Takeout" podcast. Sanders needs to wind down his campaign "in a way that tiger doesn't turn on him or on the rest of the party and does do real damage," Simmons explained.
Simmons also said that Sanders supporters, who are often called "Bernie Bros," need to "process their grief" about the likelihood that Sanders probably does not have a viable path to the Democratic nomination.
"You kind of have to let that energy burn off a little bit before you end this campaign," Simmons said.
Republican political consultant Terry Sullivan, who also appeared on this week's episode of the podcast, called Sanders' continuing campaign "pointless" and a "fool's errand."
"There's no logical mathematical way for him to be the nominee of the Democratic Party and he's going to further alienate himself to folks who just want to go beat Donald Trump," Sullivan said.
Sanders and Biden will face off in a one-on-one debate on Sunday.
For more of Major's conversation with Simmons and Sullivan, download "The Takeout" podcast on iTunes, GooglePlay, Spotify and Stitcher. New episodes are available every Friday morning. Also, you can watch "The Takeout" on CBSN Friday at 5pm, 9pm, and 12am ET and Saturday at 1pm, 9pm, and 12am ET. For a full archive of "The Takeout" episodes, visit www.takeoutpodcast.com. And you can listen to "The Takeout" on select CBS News Radio affiliates (check your local listings).
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