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Dasha Burns: Clinton firmed up lead in NY, but if she is nominee must work hard to win over Sanders' supporters
She offers tips for how to make the case. One thing, don't condescend to millennials, expect women to vote for you
Editor’s Note: Dasha Burns is a writer and works as a strategist and creative content producer at Oliver Global, a consulting agency where she focuses on leveraging media and digital technology for global development. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
CNN
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Bernie’s Brooklyn mourned Tuesday’s New York primary results as Hillary Clinton solidified her lead over the shaggy, endearing ideologue. This may be the beginning of the end for Bernie Sanders, but that doesn’t mean Clinton can coast. Far from it.
Sanders recently stressed that if Clinton does become the nominee, she’ll have to do a much better job of engaging his supporters – namely millennials. He’s not kidding: Sanders has had an astronomical lead with this demographic, earning more youth votes than both Clinton and GOP front-runner Donald Trump combined. And 25% of his voters told McLatchy-Marist pollsters they would not back Clinton in the general election.
But let’s take a breath. I think we’ve all been wearing our primary goggles a little too long. The fact is that Clinton and Sanders agree on a majority of the issues when it comes to actual policy.
Yet this is not resonating with millennials: Clinton cannot repeat her ritual misstep of assuming she will get their support when she hasn’t fully earned it.
To ensure a win for Democratic and progressive values in the general election, young people need to show up. And for this, Clinton needs to work harder to remind young voters that she, too, will fight on their behalf.
Just as devoted patrons of the local organic-fair-trade-small-batch coffee shop won’t suddenly wake up with a Starbucks skinny vanilla latte, avid, anti-establishment Sanders supporters won’t suddenly start feeling the Bern for Clinton.
So, I would urge the secretary to rethink her relationship to this demographic. Some suggestions:
–You don’t believe in the kind of revolution Bernie is talking about. Show young people that you’ve heard the cheers for his ideas and you understand why they matter to us, and tell us — without condescension — how you’re going to do better. Then, show us what your revolution looks like. Because you ARE campaigning on a progressive platform, and you DO have goals — like the New College Compact and profit sharing – that will change flawed and failing systems.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Nam Y. Huh/AP
US Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Chicago in March 2019. Sanders, an independent from Vermont, is the longest-serving independent in the history of Congress.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Danny Lyon/Magnum Photos
Sanders, right, leads a sit-in organized by the Congress of Racial Equality in 1962. The demonstration was staged to oppose housing segregation at the University of Chicago. It was Chicago's first civil rights sit-in.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Donna Light/AP
Sanders takes the oath of office to become the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1981. He ran as an independent and won the race by 10 votes.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Toby Talbot/AP
Sanders, right, tosses a baseball before a minor-league game in Vermont in 1984. US Sen. Patrick Leahy, center, was also on hand.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Toby Talbot/AP
In 1987, Sanders and a group of Vermont musicians recorded a spoken-word folk album. "We Shall Overcome" was first released as a cassette that sold about 600 copies. When Sanders entered the US presidential race in 2015, the album surged in online sales. But at a CNN town hall, Sanders said, "It's the worst album ever recorded."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Sanders reads mail at his campaign office in Burlington in 1990. He was running for the US House of Representatives after an unsuccessful bid in 1988.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Rob Swanson/AP
In 1990, Sanders defeated US Rep. Peter Smith in the race for Vermont's lone House seat. He won by 16 percentage points.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Marcy Nighswander/AP
Sanders sits next to President Bill Clinton in 1993 before the Congressional Progressive Caucus held a meeting at the White House. Sanders co-founded the caucus in 1991 and served as its first chairman.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
TOBY TALBOT/AP
Barack Obama, then a US senator, endorses Sanders' Senate bid at a rally in Burlington in 2006.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
David Scull/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Sanders takes part in a swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol in January 2007. He won his Senate seat with 65% of the vote.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Toby Talbot/AP
Sanders chats with Dr. John Matthew, director of The Health Center in Plainfield, Vermont, in May 2007. Sanders was in Plainfield to celebrate a new source of federal funding for The Health Center.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images
Sanders speaks to reporters in 2010 about the Obama administration's push to extend Bush-era tax cuts. Three days later, Sanders held a filibuster against the reinstatement of the tax cuts. His speech, which lasted more than eight hours, was published in book form in 2011. It is called "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Sanders and US Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, walk to a news conference on Capitol Hill in 2014. Sanders was chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
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Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/AP
In March 2015, Sanders speaks in front of letters and petitions asking Congress to reject proposed cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg/Getty Images
In July 2015, two months after announcing he would be seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for President, Sanders spoke to nearly 10,000 supporters in Madison, Wisconsin. "Tonight we have made a little bit of history," he said. "You may know that some 25 candidates are running for President of the United States, but tonight we have more people at a meeting for a candidate for President of the United States than any other candidate has."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Elaine Thompson/AP
Seconds after Sanders took the stage for a campaign rally in August 2015, a dozen protesters from Seattle's Black Lives Matter chapter jumped barricades and grabbed the microphone from the senator. Holding a banner that said "Smash Racism," two of the protesters -- Marissa Johnson, left, and Mara Jacqueline Willaford -- began to address the crowd.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Sanders shakes hands with Hillary Clinton at a Democratic debate in Las Vegas in October 2015. The hand shake came after Sanders' take on the Clinton email scandal. "Let me say something that may not be great politics, but the secretary is right -- and that is that the American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails, let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Sanders embraces Remaz Abdelgader, a Muslim student, during an October 2015 event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Asked what he would do about Islamophobia in the United States, Sanders said he was determined to fight racism and "build a nation in which we all stand together as one people."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS/Newscom
Sanders waves while walking in a Veterans Day parade in Lebanon, New Hampshire, in November 2015.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
David Goldman/AP
Sanders sits with rapper and activist Killer Mike at the Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta in November 2015. That evening, Killer Mike introduced Sanders at a campaign event in the city. "I'm talking about a revolutionary," the rapper told supporters. "In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that Sen. Bernie Sanders is the right man to lead this country."
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Comedian Larry David and Sanders appear together on "Saturday Night Live" in February 2016. David had played Sanders in a series of sketches throughout the campaign season.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
John Minchillo/AP
Sanders and his wife, Jane, wave to the crowd during a primary night rally in Concord, New Hampshire, in February 2016. Sanders defeated Clinton in the New Hampshire primary with 60% of the vote, becoming the first Jewish candidate to win a presidential primary.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
JIM YOUNG/REUTERS/Newscom
Sanders speaks at a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in March 2016. He won the state's primary the next day, an upset that delivered a sharp blow to Clinton's hopes of quickly securing the nomination.
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Sanders speaks at a campaign event in New York's Washington Square Park in April 2016.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
John Locher/AP
Sanders speaks at a rally in Santa Monica, California, in June 2016. He pledged to stay in the Democratic race even though Clinton secured the delegates she needed to become the presumptive nominee.
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Sanders endorses Clinton at a rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in July 2016.
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Anthony Behar/SIPA/AP
Sanders addresses delegates on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in July 2016.
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Senate TV
Sanders brings a giant printout of one of Donald Trump's tweets to a Senate debate in January 2017. In the tweet, Trump had promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Charles Krupa/AP
Sanders thanks supporters after winning re-election to the Senate in November 2018.
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Sanders looks at his notes as he watches President Trump deliver the State of the Union address in February 2019. That month, Sanders announced that he would be running for president again.
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Sanders hugs a young supporter during a campaign rally in Los Angeles in March 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Sanders addresses the audience at a CNN town hall in Washington in April 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Sanders speaks next to former Vice President Joe Biden at the first Democratic debates in June 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Damian Dovarganes/AP
Sanders raises his fist as he holds a rally in Santa Monica, California, in July 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Sanders grabs the hand of US Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic debates in Detroit in July 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
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Sanders campaigns at the University of New Hampshire in September 2019. A few days later, he took himself off the campaign trail after doctors treated a blockage in one of his arteries. Sanders suffered a heart attack, his campaign confirmed.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Mary Altaffer/AP
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduces Sanders at a New York rally after endorsing him for president in October 2019.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Victor J. Blue for CNN
In a tense and dramatic exchange moments after a Democratic debate, Warren accused Sanders of calling her a liar on national television. Sanders responded that it was Warren who called him a liar. Earlier in the debate, the two disagreed on whether Sanders told Warren, during a private dinner in 2018, that he didn't believe a woman could win the presidency.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Matt Rourke/AP
Sanders laughs during a primary-night rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, in February 2020. Sanders won the primary, just as he did in 2016.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Eric Gay/AP
A triumphant Sanders raises his fist in San Antonio after he was projected to win the Nevada caucuses.
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Matt Rourke/AP
Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden talk before a Democratic debate in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 2020.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Jeff Kowalsky/AFP/Getty Images
Sanders addresses supporters during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in March 2020.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Charles Krupa/AP
Sanders speaks to reporters in Burlington, Vermont, a day after Super Tuesday II. Sanders said it "was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view" but that he looked forward to staying in the race and taking on Joe Biden in an upcoming debate.
Photos: Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders
Sarah Silbiger for CNN
Biden greets Sanders with an elbow bump before the start of a debate in Washington in March 2020. They went with an elbow bump instead of a handshake because of the coronavirus pandemic.
–Don’t tell young women to vote for you because we’re women. But tell us to vote for you because you’re going to close the wage gap. Because you’ll make sure we have every opportunity afforded our male colleagues. Because with you as president our rights to our own bodies will be protected and expanded.
–Don’t try to adopt Bernie’s swag; it’s inimitable and everyone is surprised that it worked (including him, I bet). And don’t try to do “cool” things you think young people do; you’re a grown woman and we like the gravitas and dignity that brings. So do what YOU do but show young people you’ll support what they do, too.
–Policy matters, but for young voters, the intent and ideals behind those policies matter, too. If you’re not going as far as Sanders on issues like education and the minimum wage, make sure we understand why and show us your goals are worth fighting for. Show us the heart behind your strategy and explain why it will work for us.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 28, 2016. The former first lady, U.S. senator and secretary of state was the first woman to lead the presidential ticket of a major political party.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Lee Balterman/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images
Before marrying Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here she attends Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Her commencement speech at Wellesley's graduation ceremony in 1969 attracted national attention. After graduating, she attended Yale Law School.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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Rodham was a lawyer on the House Judiciary Committee, whose work led to impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
DONALD R. BROYLES/AP
In 1975, Rodham married Bill Clinton, whom she met at Yale Law School. He became the governor of Arkansas in 1978. In 1980, the couple had a daughter, Chelsea.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
A. Lynn/AP
Arkansas' first lady, now using the name Hillary Rodham Clinton, wears her inaugural ball gown in 1985.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Danny Johnston/AP
The Clintons celebrate Bill's inauguration in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1991. He was governor from 1983 to 1992, when he was elected President.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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Bill Clinton comforts his wife on the set of "60 Minutes" after a stage light broke loose from the ceiling and knocked her down in January 1992.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
LYNNE SLADKY/AP
In June 1992, Clinton uses a sewing machine designed to eliminate back and wrist strain. She had just given a speech at a convention of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
STEPHAN SAVOIA/AP
During the 1992 presidential campaign, Clinton jokes with her husband's running mate, Al Gore, and Gore's wife, Tipper, aboard a campaign bus.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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Clinton accompanies her husband as he takes the oath of office in January 1993.
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The Clintons share a laugh on Capitol Hill in 1993.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Clinton unveils the renovated Blue Room of the White House in 1995.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
AFP/Getty Images
Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas. The Clintons' business investment was investigated, but ultimately they were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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The Clintons hug as Bill is sworn in for a second term as President.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
KATHY WILLENS/AP
The first lady holds up a Grammy Award, which she won for her audiobook "It Takes a Village" in 1997.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
The Clintons dance on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 1998. Later that month, Bill Clinton was accused of having a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images
Clinton looks on as her husband discusses the Monica Lewinsky scandal in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on January 26, 1998. Clinton declared, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." In August of that year, Clinton testified before a grand jury and admitted to having "inappropriate intimate contact" with Lewinsky, but he said it did not constitute sexual relations because they had not had intercourse. He was impeached in December on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Roberto Borea/AP
The first family walks with their dog, Buddy, as they leave the White House for a vacation in August 1998.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
SUSAN WALSH/AP
President Clinton makes a statement at the White House in December 1998, thanking members of Congress who voted against his impeachment. The Senate trial ended with an acquittal in February 1999.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
KATHY WILLENS/AP
Clinton announces in February 2000 that she will seek the U.S. Senate seat in New York. She was elected later that year.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images
Clinton makes her first appearance on the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Sen. Clinton comforts Maren Sarkarat, a woman who lost her husband in the September 11 terrorist attacks, during a ground-zero memorial in October 2001.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
BILL PUGLIANO/AP
Clinton holds up her book "Living History" before a signing in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 2003.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Ronda Churchill/AP
Clinton and another presidential hopeful, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, applaud at the start of a Democratic debate in 2007.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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Obama and Clinton talk on the plane on their way to a rally in Unity, New Hampshire, in June 2008. She had recently ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Charles Dharapak/AP
Obama is flanked by Clinton and Vice President-elect Joe Biden at a news conference in Chicago in December 2008. He had designated Clinton to be his secretary of state.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Alexei Nikolsky/RIA Novosti/POOL/AP
Clinton, as secretary of state, greets Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during a meeting just outside Moscow in March 2010.
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The Clintons pose on the day of Chelsea's wedding to Marc Mezvinsky in July 2010.
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Pete Souza/The White House/Getty Images
In this photo provided by the White House, Obama, Clinton, Biden and other members of the national security team receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in May 2011.
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Kevin Lamarque/Pool/AP
Clinton checks her Blackberry inside a military plane after leaving Malta in October 2011. In 2015, The New York Times reported that Clinton exclusively used a personal email account during her time as secretary of state. The account, fed through its own server, raises security and preservation concerns. Clinton later said she used a private domain out of "convenience," but admits in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Brendan Smialowski/AP
Clinton arrives for a group photo before a forum with the Gulf Cooperation Council in March 2012. The forum was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
Obama and Clinton bow during the transfer-of-remains ceremony marking the return of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, who were killed in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.
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Clinton ducks after a woman threw a shoe at her while she was delivering remarks at a recycling trade conference in Las Vegas in 2014.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
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Clinton, now running for President again, performs with Jimmy Fallon during a "Tonight Show" skit in September 2015.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Clinton testifies about the Benghazi attack during a House committee meeting in October 2015. "I would imagine I have thought more about what happened than all of you put together," she said during the 11-hour hearing. "I have lost more sleep than all of you put together. I have been wracking my brain about what more could have been done or should have been done." Months earlier, Clinton had acknowledged a "systemic breakdown" as cited by an Accountability Review Board, and she said that her department was taking additional steps to increase security at U.S. diplomatic facilities.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
ADAM ROSE/CNN
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders shares a lighthearted moment with Clinton during a Democratic presidential debate in October 2015. It came after Sanders gave his take on the Clinton email scandal. "The American people are sick and tired of hearing about the damn emails," Sanders said. "Enough of the emails. Let's talk about the real issues facing the United States of America."
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Evan Vucci/AP
Clinton is reflected in a teleprompter during a campaign rally in Alexandria, Virginia, in October 2015.
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Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Clinton walks on her stage with her family after winning the New York primary in April.
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@hillaryclinton/Twitter
After Clinton became the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, this photo was posted to her official Twitter account. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want -- even president," Clinton said. "Tonight is for you."
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Obama hugs Clinton after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. The president said Clinton was ready to be commander in chief. "For four years, I had a front-row seat to her intelligence, her judgment and her discipline," he said, referring to her stint as his secretary of state.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Clinton arrives at a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in New York on September 11. Clinton, who was diagnosed with pneumonia two days before, left early after feeling ill. A video appeared to show her stumble as Secret Service agents helped her into a van.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Clinton addresses a campaign rally in Cleveland on November 6, two days before Election Day. She went on to lose Ohio -- and the election -- to her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight
Andrew Harnik/AP
After conceding the presidency to Trump in a phone call earlier, Clinton addresses supporters and campaign workers in New York on Wednesday, November 9. Her defeat marked a stunning end to a campaign that appeared poised to make her the first woman elected US president.
–We know how experienced you are, and that you know how to “get the job done.” But show that you’re still willing to see different perspectives and to seriously consider criticisms and counterarguments.
–Most of all, show that you’re engaging with young voices. Show that you’ll listen to those with few years but many ideas. Show that you’re ultimately on the same side as your current opponent, because you will need his zealous support come November.
It’s true that even if Clinton does all these things, some millennials may angrily disengage from the political process if she is the nominee. But as a fellow member of the cohort, I hope and believe that most will be thoughtful in their decision.
They’ll see that the Republican candidate is the direct antithesis of everything that Clinton, Sanders and their collective supporters stand for.
They’ll see that both the Democratic candidates stand on platforms that will move our country forward, not backward.
They’ll recall that before the candidates went hoarse yelling over each other in the last debate, they spent most of the earlier debates so “vigorously agreeing” that a “Glee”-style “Don’t Stop Believin’” duet seemed almost imminent. From immigration to abortion to even campaign finance reform, rarely are the differences meaningful.
Ahead of the upcoming primaries, Clinton will need to start removing her own primary goggles and making that case to her current opponent’s supporters. Because if they turn their backs before the real battle begins, her presumptive primary victory could vanish before our eyes.
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