Keller @ Large: Why Losers Endorse Winners
BOSTON (CBS) - It is a staple of our politics, the moment when bitter campaign rivals meet on stage and the loser endorses the winner. And it always leaves loyal followers of the loser wondering - did my candidate ever really mean the scathing things they said about the winner during the race?
That question is surely on the minds of at least some Bernie Sanders supporters after Tuesday's awkward endorsement of Hillary Clinton in Portsmouth. And the answer is - of course he meant what he said.
But Sanders lost, and faced a choice - he could continue to scorch Clinton, with Donald Trump cheering him on, and if Clinton went on to lose, shoulder a sizable slice of the blame for electing Trump, a man Sanders has called a "pathological liar."
Or, he could go home to Vermont and clam up, an option that doesn't seem very Bernie.
Or, he could swallow his misgivings and support the woman he clearly believes is a superior choice.
The polls suggest most Sanders supporters will ultimately come to the same decision, however grudgingly. And while that calculation may not seem especially pure and inspirational, the fact is politics is often not about purity and inspiration. It is about making tough choices, compromising, getting half of what you want and coming back later for the other half. It is about cultivating relationships with people you may not like or agree with, and engaging in the give and take that any successful relationship requires.
So, no one should feel betrayed by what Sanders did Tuesday. He was being what we should all want our political leaders to be - a grown-up.
