Bernie Sanders is out, but his influence on Democrats lives on

Bernie Sanders’ withdrawal from the presidential race Wednesday was hardly a surprise. Joe Biden had a prohibitive lead in delegates and in polls for the Democratic nomination. But the Vermont senator’s decision, after a likely loss in yesterday’s strange Wisconsin primary, is still momentous.

Former Vice President Biden, the presumptive nominee, now faces the formidable task of uniting the party. Senator Sanders is not even a “big D” Democrat, he’s a social democrat, and his advocacy for such programs as Medicare For All and free college tuition turned his...