Faced with the reality that many of his supporters still see Hillary Clinton in a negative light, Sen. Bernard Sanders on Wednesday hit the campaign trail and said the future of the progressive agenda depends entirely on electing his one-time primary rival.
Speaking at the University of New Hampshire, Mr. Sanders and Mrs. Clinton — who waged a bitter battle for the Democratic presidential nomination — appealed to millennials by pushing free college for most Americans and other liberal policy priorities.
The duo made the case that a Clinton defeat wouldn’t just be a defeat for the candidate herself, but also would mark a landmark setback for the progressive movement in America and make it infinitely harder for young people to work their way into the middle class.
“The next 40 days will determine the next 40 years,” Mrs. Clinton said “When you go to vote in November, or if you vote early, it’s not just my name on the ballot. Every issue you care about — think about it — in effect, it’s on the ballot, too … This is a big deal.”
While a clear majority of Sanders backers say they’ll vote for the former first lady in November, there still are troubling signs that Mrs. Clinton may not be able to count on their support, particularly that of younger voters.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll released this week found that just 43 percent of Sanders supporters believe Mrs. Clinton is an honest candidate. At the same time, other surveys have shown that millennials simply haven’t warmed to the Democratic nominee.
A New York Times/CBS News poll, for example, found that she’s capturing 31 percent of voters under the age of 29. Libertarian Gary Johnson is garnering 29 percent, and Republican Donald Trump is getting 26 percent, the poll shows.
Wednesday’s event was designed to change that equation, and specialists say the more Mr. Sanders is on the trail, the better.
“Sanders’ greatest value for Clinton now is his support among young people. She needs a big turnout there, and so far has not done an effective job of reaching out to them,” said Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution.
In making their pitch to young voters, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Sanders spoke almost entirely about their debt-free college plan, which their respective campaigns collectively crafted after the primary ended.
Mr. Sanders cast the free-college idea as “revolutionary” and urged Democrats who formerly supported him to come together behind Mrs. Clinton.
“We came together after the campaign and reached an agreement that says every family in this country earning less than $125,000 or less — and that is 83 percent of our population — should be able to send their kids to public colleges and universities tuition free,” the Vermont senator and self-described democratic socialist told the crowd.
“Make no mistake: This is a revolutionary proposal for the future of our country with wide-reaching implications,” Mr. Sanders said.
Just as he did at the Democratic Party convention in July, Mr. Sanders then made a broader appeal to his supporters, especially those who still aren’t committed to supporting Mrs. Clinton.
“This election is enormously important for the future of our country,” he said. “It is imperative that we elect Hillary Clinton as our next president.”
Progressive leaders say Mr. Sanders still can play a key role in motivating Democrats who simply may not be as familiar with the Clinton-Sanders college plan, the former first lady’s push for a health care plan that includes a public option, and other goals.
“The biggest risk for Democrats are the progressives and Democratic-leaning voters who … haven’t heard enough about the bold, progressive platform and agenda Democrats are running on this year,” said Neil Sroka, spokesman for the liberal PAC Democracy for America. Mr. Sanders “can make the positive, progressive argument for Clinton better and more authentically than just about anyone else on the trail.”
Along with Mr. Sanders, first lady Michelle Obama also was on the trail Wednesday for Mrs. Clinton and told apathetic voters, young and old, they cannot afford to sit out the election or contribute to a Trump victory by backing third-party candidates.
“Either Hillary Clinton or her opponent will be the next president this year. The stakes are too high to take that chance,” she said. “It isn’t about voting for the perfect candidate. There’s no such thing.”
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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