Bernie Sanders’ decision to endorse Joe Biden on April 13th came sooner than many expected, considering that he said less than a week ago he was still hoping to win more delegates and that four years ago he didn’t endorse Hillary Clinton until July 12th — well after Clinton became the presumptive nominee.
Of course, no one in recent history topped what Eugene McCarthy did in 1968: He didn’t endorse Hubert Humphrey until October 29th of that year, just a week before the election. Then again, I still don’t know if Jerry Brown ever endorsed Bill Clinton in 1992. And neither Nelson Rockefeller nor William Scranton endorsed Barry Goldwater in 1964.
Here’s a look at some memorable battles for the nomination and when the runner-up endorsed the winner:
MARCH:
1988: Bob Dole endorses George Bush, 3/29.
MAY:
2000: John McCain endorses George W. Bush, 5/9.
1980: George Bush endorses Ronald Reagan, 5/27.
JUNE:
2008: Hillary Clinton endorses Barack Obama, 6/7.
JULY:
2016: Bernie Sanders endorses Hillary Clinton, 7/12.
2000: Bill Bradley endorses Al Gore, 7/13.
1988: Jesse Jackson endorses Michael Dukakis, at the convention.
1984: Gary Hart endorses Walter Mondale, at the convention.
1972: Hubert Humphrey endorses George McGovern, at the convention.
AUGUST:
1992: Pat Buchanan endorses George Bush, at the convention.
1976: Ronald Reagan endorses Gerald Ford, at the convention.
SEPTEMBER:
2016: Ted Cruz endorses Donald Trump, 9/23.
OCTOBER:
1968: Eugene McCarthy endorses Hubert Humphrey, 10/29.
In 1976 Reagan and Ford battled for the nomination at the convention. Not the same as others.
Yes, and that was also the case with Hart and Mondale, Humphrey and McGovern, Jackson and Dukakis, and Buchanan and Bush. I listed them all.