• by Philip Rosenstein , Staff Writer, June 14, 2016

While Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has pledged to fight for the Democratic nomination up to the convention in July, a number of signs suggest he is edging ever closer to conceding the race.

Most notably, Sanders will meet with presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton this evening, following the final Democratic primary in Washington, D.C. The conversation will reportedly revolve around the type of administration Clinton would lead, were she to win the White House.

Sanders has said he vows to make every effort to defeat Donald Trump. He may finally be accepting that he will have to do so as part of a Democratic team backing Hillary Clinton for president.

Recent ad data and personnel decisions also betray the staunch position Sanders has kept in the closing weeks of the Democratic primary.

Over the past few weeks, Sanders has diminished his presence on TV. From June 3-12, Bernie Sanders For President ran 560 TV ads in the top 60 DMAs, according to Media Monitors. This is compared to a much more robust 7,060 spots run between April 8 and April 17 in the same DMAs.

For reference, while Hillary Clinton’s activity in those markets has slowed as well, as expected at the tail end of a primary cycle, it has remained comparatively heavy. A total of 4,477 spots ran in the April period and 1,717 from June 3 - 12.

Supporters have also started to get the hint, with fundraising slowing quickly from the $40 million+ raked in from small donations earlier in the primary cycle. Reports also surfaced last week of widespread layoffs in the Sanders camp, another sign that things are coming to a close.

It is undeniable that Bernie Sanders has changed the tone of the Democratic Party. He has dragged Clinton over to his side on a number of issues, including trade and to some extent minimum wage policy, among others.

How much of the eventual Democratic party platform will be in line with Sanders’ preferred policy is unclear, but the campaign has succeeded in placing a number of friendly people on important committees at the convention in Philadelphia.

After President Obama and Elizabeth Warren endorsed Secretary Clinton last week, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sanders graciously concede sooner rather than later.