Bernie Sanders could have easily kept faith with his supporters and refused to vote for Hillary Clinton this November.  Indeed, as an independent in the Senate, he was under no obligation to support the Democratic nominee.

But Sanders wants something from the Democrats.  And when he finds out what that is, I'm sure he'll let us know.

Politico:

Bernie Sanders on Friday said he will cast his vote for Hillary Clinton in November. But he’s not all the way with her — at least, not yet.

“Yes,” the Vermont senator said when asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” if he would vote for the former secretary of state this fall. “I think the issue right here is I’m gonna do everything I can to defeat Donald Trump.”

Sanders told “CBS This Morning” that his campaign and Clinton’s have been communicating and working closely together, but he hasn’t endorsed her “because I haven’t heard her say the things that I think need to be said.”

He suggested Clinton would need to advocate for tuition-free college, a $15 minimum wage and health care for all, among other things, to secure his endorsement.

“I would love her to say that, and I would love her to move forward aggressively to make that happen,” Sanders said, adding that he doesn’t know when or if he’ll endorse the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee but “would hope” it would happen before the convention.

Sanders has yet to formally concede the Democratic primary to Clinton, instead maintaining his pledge to campaign through the Democratic National Convention. But on Friday he offered the clearest sign yet that he will support his primary rival, if only to prevent a Trump administration — though he stressed that he didn’t want to “parse words.”

“I think Trump in so many ways will be a disaster for this country if he were to be elected president,” Sanders told MSNBC. “We do not need a president whose cornerstone of his campaign is bigotry, is insulting Mexicans and Latinos and Muslims and women, who does not believe in the reality of climate change when virtually every scientist who has studied this issue understands that we have a global crisis. This is not somebody who should become president.”

The senator offered more direct language on CNN’s “New Day,” declaring, “Donald Trump is not gonna win,” when asked whether Brexit foreshadows a Trump presidency next year.

How important is a Sanders endorsement of Clinton?  A recent poll showed nearly half of Sanders supporters saying they couldn't vote for Hillary Clinton.  While that number is very likely to shrink the closer we get to the election, even 20% of Sanders supporters who either stay home on election day or cast a vote for Donald Trump would cause Clinton huge problems. 

That's why her game plan includes moving ever leftward, embracing many of Sanders's more radical ideas, and further alienating the middle of the country.  Clinton can't win without the support of the radicals, but it's problematic whether adopting their agenda will give Trump the White House.