Today, Sanders is not on a trajectory to be the nominee. But his imprint is all over the Clinton campaign, from her voluminous proposals to attack income inequality and lift the middle class, to her emphasis on new steps for gun safety. And the positions she has taken could make her a stronger candidate come next November.

Economic values will be a huge issue, and Clinton, nudged by Sanders to be more outspoken, is on the popular side of that fight.

NRA adherents may recoil from her common sense gun safety proposals, mostly clustered around background checks and closing reporting loopholes. But those voters were never going her way. The short term target of her outspokenness is Sanders, but she will appeal to potentially decisive independent suburban women by highlighting her gun safety positions.

He’ll get no big title, plane or house for his efforts. But in driving the front-runner to bolder stances, Bernie Sanders already can claim victory.