Sanders to Meet with President Obama. What Will They Talk About?

Bernie Sanders knew how to make the most of a consolation phone call. Tuesday night, after Hillary Clinton definitively clinched the nomination, President Obama called Sanders to congratulate him on a hard-fought campaign which “energiz[ed] millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality and special interests' influence on our politics,” according to the White House.

The insinuation, of course, is that the hard-fought campaign is over, Bernie, so give it up.

Sanders was ready with this appeal: Meet with me at the White House. 

Obama agreed. The meeting will happen Thursday.

The two last met in January just ahead of the Iowa caucuses for a “constructive” conversation about “foreign policy, the economy and ‘a little bit of politics,’” according to The Guardian.

Thursday’s meeting will have a different tone. According to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, they will “continue their conversation about the significant issues at stake in this election that matter most to America's working families,” which is undoubtedly on Sanders’ mind too. 

His campaign has always been more about “political revolution” than becoming president, and he is now looking for ways to cement that revolution and continue the nationwide conversation about economic and environmental justice. He’s likely hoping to enlist the president in that revolution.

The White House has a second goal for the tête–à–tête -- to discuss “how to build on the extraordinary work [Sanders] has done to engage millions of Democratic voters, and to build on that enthusiasm in the weeks and months ahead.

That’s a tricky one. Politicians and the media have long been pressuring Sanders to quit the race and graciously endorse Hillary Clinton. He’s been unwilling to do it.

He’s still unwilling to do it.

According to his campaign manager, “he will work seven days a week, night and day, to make sure Donald Trump is not president.” But so far, that has hardly translated to stumping for Hillary Clinton.

So if that’s what Obama’s looking to get out of this meeting, he might be disappointed.

Then again, the last primary, in Washington, D.C., is next Tuesday. Sanders could call it quits then. He says, however, that he’ll take it all the way to the convention. That’s next month. Maybe after that he’ll campaign for Clinton. And even if he does, will his supporters follow him? Many people who got off the sidelines to campaign for Bernie might drop back out of the process once he’s out of contention. Three out of four Sanders voters say they’ll vote for Clinton over Trump in November, and between now and then more might soften to the idea.

Photo: Phil Roeder/flickr