Krugman: Bernie Sanders Is About to Ruin His Legacy

His push for a contested convention is a bad idea, writes columnist
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted May 2, 2016 1:56 PM CDT
Krugman: Bernie Sanders Is About to Ruin His Legacy
Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event Sunday in South Bend, Ind.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Bernie Sanders on Sunday made clear that he has no intention of conceding victory to Hillary Clinton if she fails to reach the number of pledged delegates necessary to clinch the nomination. "She will need super delegates to take her over the top of the convention in Philadelphia," he said, per ABC News. "In other words, the convention will be a contested contest." At the New York Times, Paul Krugman writes that this development is "really depressing." Sanders, he argues, is embarking on "an epic descent into whining."

If he were to accept defeat graciously, Sanders could play a big role in shaping the Democratic party's future, but Krugman thinks he's risking that chance—along with his credibility—for a few additional weeks of life in a losing contest. "Can someone tell Bernie that he’s in the process of blowing his own chance for a positive legacy?" Meanwhile, an analysis by Philip Bump at the Washington Post suggests that while Sanders can indeed force a contested convention, he has little if any chance of emerging as the winner: "What's going to happen at that convention is not much of a mystery." Click for the full analysis. (More Bernie Sanders 2016 stories.)

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