No doubt, Sanders will rally his supporters to defeat Trump, to help take back the Senate, to elect progressive "Sanders democrats" to the House and in down-ballot races.
The question is what the Clinton campaign will do. Will it accept that Sanders is building a political movement with its own trajectory, even as they are allied in the mission of defeating Trump? Or will it generate bitter feuds demanding control of the "Sanders list," his schedule and content of his remarks?
6. Urge His Supporters to Vote
No doubt, Sanders will seek to get his followers to come out to vote for Clinton in order to defeat Trump. But he isn't the Pied Piper. He can't order them to turn out. He'll make the case to them and they will decide.
The question is what Clinton will do. Will she work hard to appeal to the young voters and independents and blue-collar workers that were the core of the Sanders base? Will she offer them the hope for change that clearly inspired them about Sanders? Or will she decide they have nowhere else to go, and focus on winning the votes of moderate Republicans in swing state suburbs?
7. Keep Building the Movement for Fundamental Change
No doubt, Sanders will seek to keep building his "political revolution." He'll seek to identify, recruit and support Sanders Democrats up and down the ticket in this and future races. He'll mobilize his supporters to rally around fundamental reform battles, with the first test case coming in the lame duck session if President Obama decides to submit the Trans-Pacific Partnership for ratification, despite the stated opposition of all three major candidates for president. He'll continue to inspire an emerging generation with the understanding that there is an alternative to our current course if they organize to clean out our corrupted politics.
The question is what Clinton will do, assuming she is elected. Will she champion bold reforms that gain the enthusiastic support of the Sanders movement? Or will she ratchet up our intervention in the Middle East, heat up the emerging cold wars with Russia and China, seek a "grand bargain" with Republicans on austerity, go back to championing trade deals, ignore the need for immediate action on climate change, and usher Wall Street's bankers back into Washington's drivers seats? That would force the Sanders movement to build in opposition to her on key issues, not in support of her.
The Mug's Game
The mainstream media is peddling a mug's game. Clinton wins the nomination, but somehow it is Sanders' responsibility to unify the party. Clinton captures virtually all of the part's deep pockets, but somehow it is Sanders' responsibility to help fund the campaign. Clinton will decide how she wants to run, what mandate she seeks, what coalition she wants to put together, but somehow it is Sanders responsibility to bale up his voters and deliver them to the nominee no matter what she decides. And if Clinton were somehow, unimaginably, to blow the election to Trump, no doubt Sanders will be blamed for not endorsing her soon enough or enthusiastically enough or loudly enough.
Nonsense. Sanders has been clear all along: He's building a movement for radical change. Clinton won the nomination. She gets to choose whether to embrace that movement or ignore it, whether to adopt that platform or avoid it, whether to change the party or maintain the old order. We know what Bernie will do. The question is what Clinton will do.
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