This take is reductive to the point of dishonesty. It was, in fact, rigged for Clinton in a number of ways. Major media outlets invariably attributed an overwhelming majority of superdelegate votes to Clinton, right from the beginning. In all the reportage most people saw of the race, this dishonest framing gave a strong impression that Sanders had no chance—that voting for him would be a waste.

To say nothing of any other chicanery that took place, that went a long way to depress progressive turnout, and dissuade any moderate Democrats from considering him as a serious contender. The media were pro-Clinton in a much more fervent and mask-off way than they’ve ever been pro-Trump, and mainstream Dems, by and large, believe the shit they read in WaPo and NYT.