What Bernie Sanders Has Achieved . 
Bernie Sanders
As he has been for most of the past year , Bernie Sanders is on the road . 
That , in itself , says something about Sanders and the historical significance of his campaign . 
And although Sanders now seems unlikely to win the Democratic nomination for President , he has achieved much more than that . 
It is obvious that Sanders has , in the process , put a scare into Hillary Clinton 's campaign . 
Of the twenty-five states that have held Democratic primaries and caucuses , Sanders has won nine and Clinton has won sixteen -LRB- plus American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands -RRB- . 
But outside the South , where Clinton has won large majorities of black voters , many of Sanders 's losses have been narrow . 
Given the way the primary calendar was structured , with many Southern states voting in February and March , Sanders 's route to victory was always going to be precarious . 
The Sanders campaign achieved its initial goal , virtually tying Clinton in Iowa , trouncing her in New Hampshire , and losing by a whisker in Nevada . 
Had Sanders earned a few thousand more votes in Iowa and Nevada , he would have won all three contests . 
Still , Sanders carried Colorado , Minnesota , Oklahoma , and Vermont , and in Massachusetts he came within two percentage points of victory . 
Had Sanders followed up that shocking triumph by carrying Illinois , Missouri , and Ohio , this past Tuesday , his insurgent game plan would have been back on track . 
That it did n't quite work out does n't detract from the impact Sanders has had . 
On issues like inequality , trade , the environment , corporate offshoring , and bringing Wall Street miscreants to justice , the former Secretary of State has adopted Sanders 's language -- and , in some cases , his policies . 
Clinton had undoubtedly always intended to run as a center-left progressive in 2016 , just as she did in 2008 , but Sanders has forced her onto ground she had n't originally intended to occupy . 
Even Republicans have been taking up some of Sanders 's themes . 
Of course , the regressive tax policies that Cruz , Trump , and Kasich are advocating would exacerbate inequality , rather than reduce it , but the fact that Republicans have felt obliged to address these issues at all surely owes something to Sanders and the populist wave that he represents . 
Sanders 's other big theme is money in politics . 
But nobody has made the argument as passionately or as powerfully as Sanders . 
Since Sanders uttered these words , last May , his message has n't changed . 
In much the same way that Trump has labelled Sanders a Communist , the Republicans of Bryan 's day called him a fanatic who would wreck the American economy . 
It 's too early to say what Sanders 's legacy will be , or whether some of the ideas that he is pushing -- such as breaking up the big banks , introducing a single-payer health-care system , and returning tax rates on the rich closer to the levels that F.D.R. introduced -- will eventually be adopted . 
But it is also evident that , in the past ten months , Sanders has defied the pundits , alarmed the comfortable , and inspired the young .
As he has been for most of the past year , [TGT] is on the road . 
That , in itself , says something about [TGT] and the historical significance of [TGT] campaign . 
And although [TGT] now seems unlikely to win the Democratic nomination for President , [TGT] has achieved much more than that . 
It is obvious that [TGT] has , in the process , put a scare into Hillary Clinton 's campaign . 
Of the twenty-five states that have held Democratic primaries and caucuses , [TGT] has won nine and Clinton has won sixteen -LRB- plus American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands -RRB- . 
But outside the South , where Clinton has won large majorities of black voters , many of [TGT] 's losses have been narrow . 
Given the way the primary calendar was structured , with many Southern states voting in February and March , [TGT] 's route to victory was always going to be precarious . 
The [TGT] campaign achieved its initial goal , virtually tying Clinton in Iowa , trouncing her in New Hampshire , and losing by a whisker in Nevada . 
Had [TGT] earned a few thousand more votes in Iowa and Nevada , [TGT] would have won all three contests . 
Still , [TGT] carried Colorado , Minnesota , Oklahoma , and Vermont , and in Massachusetts [TGT] came within two percentage points of victory . 
Had [TGT] followed up that shocking triumph by carrying Illinois , Missouri , and Ohio , this past Tuesday , [TGT] insurgent game plan would have been back on track . 
That it did n't quite work out does n't detract from the impact [TGT] has had . 
On issues like inequality , trade , the environment , corporate offshoring , and bringing Wall Street miscreants to justice , the former Secretary of State has adopted [TGT] 's language -- and , in some cases , [TGT] policies . 
Clinton had undoubtedly always intended to run as a center-left progressive in 2016 , just as she did in 2008 , but [TGT] has forced her onto ground she had n't originally intended to occupy . 
Even Republicans have been taking up some of [TGT] 's themes . 
Of course , the regressive tax policies that Cruz , Trump , and Kasich are advocating would exacerbate inequality , rather than reduce it , but the fact that Republicans have felt obliged to address these issues at all surely owes something to [TGT] and the populist wave that [TGT] represents . 
[TGT] 's other big theme is money in politics . 
But nobody has made the argument as passionately or as powerfully as [TGT] . 
Since [TGT] uttered these words , last May , [TGT] message has n't changed . 
In much the same way that Trump has labelled [TGT] a Communist , the Republicans of Bryan 's day called [TGT] a fanatic who would wreck the American economy . 
It 's too early to say what [TGT] 's legacy will be , or whether some of the ideas that [TGT] is pushing -- such as breaking up the big banks , introducing a single-payer health-care system , and returning tax rates on the rich closer to the levels that F.D.R. introduced -- will eventually be adopted . 
But it is also evident that , in the past ten months , [TGT] has defied the pundits , alarmed the comfortable , and inspired the young .