Is Bernie Sanders at fault for Clinton's loss?

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In retrospect, the fact that she struggled so mightily against him was the first major flag - the equivalent of Eugene McCarthy managing to kick LBJ in New Hampshire. In fact, Joe Biden had the potential to become the Robert Kennedy in such a race as well (minus the assassination), but the establishment unfortunately all-in on HRC far too early.

The Sanders-Clinton campaign itself was fairly tame on both sides. I know we have a tendency to lose all perspective in elections, but given the wealth of potential slander that could have been thrown either way it was a relatively non-gutter based fight, especially compared to the Republicans.

The primary was the beginning of an few unwise political decisions for the Clinton Campaign though: the tack to Sanders' left on crutch issues like gun control and abortion. Not only did it look kind of duplicitous - especially for people with even the vaguest memories of Clinton's campaign in 2008; but it made her do an Udall in that carrying through to the general, the only thing that came across to the public at large were these social issues (which is not to say these are unimportant issues, before the tiresome reply comes; but that they typically aren't great things to build a general election campaign on for a multitude of reasons).

So Bernie may have indirectly harmed, but I'm pretty sure the weaknesses he exposed in her campaign would have shown otherwise.