Sorry, A Stein-Sanders Ticket Isn't Happening

In a few short weeks, the Democratic National Convention will be upon us, and with it the now-inevitable conclusion of Sen. Bernie Sanders' run for president — or will it? (Cue dramatic music and maybe some thunderclaps.) It's unclear what the Vermont senator is planning in regards to the Democrats. And like Jon Snow being brought back from the dead, the Green Party's Jill Stein is hoping to bring Sanders' November odds back to life. But though they share some deep anti-establishment sentiments, the chances of the two teaming up are pretty much nil. Here's why a Stein-Sanders ticket for the Green Party is almost certainly not going to happen.

In April, Stein sent an open letter to Sanders, encouraging the Vermont senator to join her:

As the neoliberal Democratic machine mobilizes to quash revolution in its ranks, I urge you to consider opening a window of historic possibility outside the Democratic Party.

It's not surprising that Stein has so publicly tried to court Sanders. In a May Quinnipiac poll, 87 percent of participants didn't know enough about Stein to have an opinion about her. In a field with Clinton, Trump, and the Libertarian Party's Gary Johnson, Stein snagged a mere 3 percent of the vote. Not only has Sanders become a household name, but he's shown that his outside-the-Democratic-establishment proposals have some significant appeal with millions of voters.

However, Sanders appeared to take a hard pass at her offer. Stein said in an interview with Rolling Stone published last month that Sanders had not responded to her outreach: "I'm not holding my breath, but I'm not ruling it out either. The Green Party has been reaching out to him [Sanders] since 2011 without a response."

Granted, Sanders hasn't dropped out of the presidential race yet, nor has he clearly outlined an exit plan. Sanders continues to push his message of revolution, tweeting recently, "They tell us the only thing we can get is incremental change. We tell them: no thanks. We're thinking big and demanding real change."

Here's the critical point, though. Last week, Sanders said he would vote for Clinton in the general election on MSNBC's Morning Joe. Sure, that's not endorsement, but it seems to definitively kills any prospect of a Stein-Sanders team on the ticket in November — or even the notion that Sanders would endorse Stein.

In her open letter to Sanders, Stein asked him, "Can we explore an historic collaboration to keep building the revolution?" The answer from the typically loud and bold Sanders campaign may be a quiet "No."

Image: Bustle/Caroline Wurtzel