so donald trump has said the following in florida: <u+201c>i<u+2019>m honored to have the greatest temperament that anyone<u+2019>s ever had.<u+201d> hahaha. we, in turn, feel honored to have been exposed these past 16 months to a temperament so expressive of the platonic virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation and justice. not to mention humility. it has been uplifting. hahaha. i can<u+2019>t believe i just wrote that. well, at this point i can believe anything. i think i speak for all americans in saying we are ready for this election to be over. in fact, i speak for the entire planet, since the election is all anybody anywhere talks about. the campaign, thanks to trump, has involved a kind of magical mystery tour of all that is base, vile, vulgar, repugnant, primal, violent, bullying, petulant, hateful, dishonest, superficial and lazy in human nature. it has also offered a primer in how democratic societies can veer off the rails into forms of horror that, in hindsight, seem unimaginable. small compromise by small compromise, craven step by craven step, is a republic undone. to give trump his due, he recognized a moment when a lot of americans under pressure, feeling menaced by modernity, were ready to reconnect with their inner reptile: there<u+2019>s nothing new about mass popular delusions or the madness of crowds. he has reminded us, at a time of shifting global power, that the world is a dangerous place. underused assets bother trump; that<u+2019>s troubling when it comes to nukes. he has put truth in its place, elevating the lie to the center of political discourse, no small feat. so let<u+2019>s make america great again with <u+201c>the greatest temperament that anyone<u+2019>s ever had<u+201d>! let<u+2019>s imagine trump<u+2019>s face in all our embassies and on all our tv screens in a moment of national tragedy. <u+201c>my fellow americans. <u+2026><u+201d> no, let<u+2019>s not. i mean, seriously. but this column is not in fact about trump. it<u+2019>s about bernie sanders. when i thought about what to say in this last pre-election column, i kept being reminded of sanders<u+2019>s honorable campaign and <u+2014> although i have admired hillary clinton<u+2019>s discipline and lucidity and, yes, temperament under pressure, and believe it is important for the united states to have a woman as president at last, especially after trump<u+2019>s relentless misogyny <u+2014> i think we all owe sanders a doff of the hat. sanders homed in on the core issue of growing inequality in american society. he nudged clinton on the minimum wage, bringing her into the nationwide <u+201c>fight for $15.<u+201d> he identified post-2008 impunity on wall street as an important element in the sense many americans have that the system is rigged, and pushed clinton toward stronger language and positions on taxing the super-rich, on more equitable taxation in general, on gross abuses by pharmaceuticals companies, and on ensuring that democracy delivers not only for the most powerful but also for the most needy. he argued for a single-payer european-style health care system <u+2014> almost certainly an unattainable goal <u+2014> and thereby prodded clinton to the point that she has now said she would like to give people the option to buy into medicare. on the downside he argued against free trade, and again influenced clinton, this time negatively, but as with everything, sanders was passionate and sincere. above all, sanders was big in spirit throughout a tight race for the democratic nomination and afterward. on clinton<u+2019>s illicit use of a private email server while secretary of state: <u+201c>the american people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails.<u+201d> on his many young supporters: <u+201c>i am proud of the millions of young people who previously were not involved in the political process who are now coming into it.<u+201d> or, speaking at the conservative liberty university: <u+201c>i believe in women<u+2019>s rights, and the right of a woman to control her own body. i believe in gay rights and gay marriage. those are my views, and it is no secret. but i came here today, because i believe from the bottom of my heart that it is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse.<u+201d> after the primaries, he said: <u+201c>the major political task that together we face in the next five months is to make certain that donald trump is defeated and defeated badly.<u+201d> and at the democratic convention: <u+201c>hillary clinton will make an outstanding president and i am proud to stand with her here.<u+201d> and in a kind of summation: <u+201c>there is a lot of sentiment that enough is enough, that we need fundamental changes, that the establishment <u+2014> whether it is the economic establishment, the political establishment or the media establishment <u+2014> is failing the american people.<u+201d> perhaps, if clinton is elected, sanders could serve as secretary of outreach and conciliation. certainly, in a dark season, and under a dark threat that is still present as i write, he has through his integrity given america an example to emulate. you can follow me on twitter ( @nytimescohen ) or join me on facebook . follow the new york times opinion section on facebook and twitter (@nytopinion) , and sign up for the opinion today newsletter . a version of this op-ed appears in print on november 5, 2016, on page a19 of the new york edition with the headline: still feeling the bern. today's paper | subscribe
still feeling the bern
noauthor