Bernie Sanders deflects praise onto supporters

Bernie Sanders' talk of revolution has quietened down somehat for now, but for him and his supporters the real work may just be beginning.

That was the message from the Vermont senator this week as he released a web broadcast following his defeat to Hillary Clinton in the Democrat primaries, as he encouraged his supporters to continue the work that they had started together.

Sanders also said that he would aid Clinton in any way he could in order to stop Donald Trump from becoming the next president of the US.

“This campaign has never been about a single candidate,” he said in his speech. “Hundreds of thousands of volunteers helped us make political history during the last year. Now we need many of them to start running for school boards, city councils, county commissions, state legislatures and governorships.”

“This campaign has never been about a single candidate,” Bernie Sanders

The former candidate for the presidency was expected to make a declaration endorsing rival Clinton, but he stopped quite a bit short of that, saying that that it was "no secret" that there are key issues which they are fundamentally opposed on.

"The major political task that we face in the next five months is to make certain that Donald Trump is defeated and defeated badly, and I personally intend to begin my role in that process in a very short period of time," he said.

Sanders came from nowhere during his campaign to compete with Clinton, despite falling short due to his lack of super-delegates, a highly contentious facet of the Democrats' selection of their presidential nominee.

Many have viewed his plan for the future as a radical option, but he rubbished that during the broadcast, in which he said that it is a vision "millions of Americans believe in and want to see happen."

Although he didn´t win, Sanders' effect on American politics is likely to be felt for some time.

Although he didn´t win, Sanders' effect on American politics is likely to be felt for some time. He raised $207.7 million, the result of 2.7 million people giving an average of $27 apiece. His campaign has pulled in tens of millions of email addresses and fostered the growth of sprawling progressive social media networks.

He now has a base which in the coming years may well transcend into something more than that, something which could function outside of the throes of the Democratic Party. Perhaps that is the biggest compliment the dimunutive Senator could receive.