Young socialists believe it, and aren’t afraid to say it: Barack Obama was a failed president. With the advantages of a supermajority in the Senate and an economic crisis, he bailed out the system instead of bringing about “the revolution.” Inequality was worse when he left office than when he came in. His legacy is a source of shame, not pride.
The vast majority of Democrats feel otherwise, of course, which is why Bernie Sanders will never be heard saying any of this. His attempt to finesse the issue instead of confronting it was a rare act of political realism. It also tells you that, deep in his heart, even he knew that he couldn’t beat the Democratic establishment unless they handed the nomination to him on a silver platter. When it was all said and done, the electorate chose the man who most obviously personifies the Obama legacy, and Sanders had no answer for it.