Seth Meyers says Bernie Sanders was smart to delay endorsing Hillary Clinton

Seth Meyers congratulates Bernie Sanders on waiting to endorse Hillary Clinton

(Image credit: Late Night)

published 14 July 2016

On Tuesday, weeks after he lost the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed former rival Hillary Clinton for president, and on Wednesday's Late Night, Seth Meyers congratulated the Vermont senator for waiting so long, despite intense pressure from Democrats and the media. "Withholding his endorsement allowed him to press for major policy changes in both the Democratic Party's platform and in Hillary's own positions, changes that could have a real impact on people's lives," Meyers argued.

"It was always pointless for the media and Democrats to obsess over exactly when Bernie was going to endorse Hillary and why he was taking so long to do it," Meyers said. "He used his leverage to force the Democratic Party to commit to real policy changes, and thanks to Bernie, the party's platform now calls for taxing carbon emissions and breaking up the big banks, while Hillary herself now supports expanding Medicare and making public college free for many families. And those are just the most high-profile issues." The minor issue Meyers focused on was postal banking, then he closed with an analogy: "Bernie's like a guy who stays at your party way too late, then offers to help you clean up, and then starts telling you, 'Oh, you missed a spot, and I know a better way to load a dishwasher,' and by the time he's done, you're like, 'Damn, this apartment looks better than it did before the party.'" Watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.