U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has lost the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

However, he’s also won the argument within the Democratic Party.

How? By pulling presumptive nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton closer to his end of the political spectrum than she was at the beginning of this campaign.

Sanders is expected eventually to end his campaign. He’ll throw his support behind Clinton. He’ll join President Obama and other party dignitaries in campaigning hard for Clinton against Republican nominee Donald J. Trump.

Sure, he still says he’ll fight “all the way to the convention” in Philadelphia. That’s what they all say. Ted Cruz said it the day before he dropped out of the GOP race. So did John Kasich. It’s just brave talk.

Sen. Sanders will take away from this campaign the satisfaction that he’s not got Clinton talking about income inequality, corruption on Wall Street and stricter international trade policies.

Do not expect Clinton to declare herself a “democratic socialist,” which Sanders proclaimed throughout his campaign with great pride

What the defeated Democratic presidential candidate cannot determine, though, is whether a President Clinton would carry that message forward once she takes the oath in January.

As of today, though, he’s changed the dialogue within the Democratic Party.

That, folks, is no small victory.