It's probably best for us if the Bernie v. Hillary battle continues unabated until at least June.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

As long as neither side blows a bunch of money fighting the other side, keeping the battle front and center in the media is a good thing. "Trump is the presumptive nominee" stops being a story in a week or two, and stays a non-story until after the conventions. We can remain a story. Publicity is good.

[peace13]

1. Clinton agrees with you.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

4. Well thats good, because I agree with Clinton

[Hortensis]

14. And I agree with both of you. I've got warm fuzzies all over.

Seriously, Bernie is no longer pretending he can woo superdelegates and has shifted his focus to getting his ideas into the Democratic platform. Hillary says she'll be glad to work with him on that . When asked hypothetically by ...? if he would consider VP (like that's going to happen), instead of saying no he said they would discuss that at the time of the convention.

So this all SHOULD mean Bernie is going to moderate his comments about Hillary and the Democratic Party. Otoh, he is generating press attention by accusing the DNC of "tilting the party's convention in favor of Hillary Clinton." Well, yes! Lol.

In a Friday letter to DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz obtained by CNN, Sanders said the chairs of two convention committees are active supporters of his rival. The two leaders -- Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, co-chair of the Platform Committee, and former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, the Rules Committee co-chair, are "aggressive attack surrogates" for Clinton. Frank has long battled with Sanders, penning an op-ed in Politico last summer titled "Why progressives shouldn't support Bernie." "I do not, and the millions who have supported our campaign will not, have any confidence that either of them will conduct committee proceeding in an even-handed manner," Sanders wrote in the letter.
...
"If the process is set up to produce an unfair, one-sided result, we are prepared to mobilize our delegates to force as many votes as necessary to amend the platform and rules on the floor of the convention," Sanders wrote.

Sanders also wants more of a say on the 15-person committee that drafts the party's platform. Noting that he's secured 45% of the pledged delegates awarded and expects to get more, he'd like each campaign to choose seven members, rather than four. The final member would be a chair jointly picked by the two campaigns.

It's neither accurate nor nice of him to accuse Gov Molloy and Barney Frank of being "attack surrogates" for Hillary Clinton (why on earth would they want to attack him at this stage?). But this kind of stuff will give the press something to talk about and his loyal supporters a new crusade to take up.

[PowerToThePeople]

2. And then Sanders V Trump

I agree.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

6. I have my doubts, but I'll take what comes.

I'll vote for the nominee of the Democratic party.

[PowerToThePeople]

7. I will vote.

[griffi94]

3. Hillary quit battling Bernie after PA MD

She's turned her attention to Trump and the GE.

Bernie's just a buzzing sound in her ear now.

Yes let's let the primaries finish up.
Then Hillary can go on to beat Trump
and Bernie can go back to the senate.

[dchill]

5. Plus, she ran out of money!

[griffi94]

8. I tend to doubt she's out of money

I know Bernie spent a lot for his awesome win in Indiana that
netted him 6 delegates haha.

Come to think of it she doesn't really need any more money.
She's statistically eleminated Bernie already.

He'll be back on the back bench soon enough.

[dchill]

9. She's marshalling her funds...

They have to be very strategically used for the rest of the primary season, and she knows that, whether you do it not. And she is, basically, low on funds that can be legally used for primary campaigning.

[griffi94]

10. In any case.

In any case.
She spent Zero in Indiana.

If she doesn't spend any money on another primary or caucus
Bernie cannot win.

I think Bernie is still begging for money tho.

It's difficult to run against the establishment.
Expensive too.

[dchill]

11. begging=getting...

Which Hillary is not so much. I think I'm right, and you'll only be right if she spends "Zero" in the other upcoming primaries.

[griffi94]

40. She's got this

Bernie gor crushed...not just beat
dominated.
hundreds and hundreds of delegats and millions of votes.

Sorry
Bernie blew it.
He's done. A footnote.

Go Hillary

[Demsrule86]

12. It is not best at all.

it is wrong and selfish of Bernie to risk the general.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

13. At this point, it needs to play out

It's the only way I see of coming together after the convention.

[Demsrule86]

15. If it goes to the convention

no one will ever forgive Bernie...his career is over but he has all of you to love and care for him of course.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

16. I think Hillary will get the nom on the first ballot, and then name Bernie Veep.

Unity, enthusiasm, and he's a good attack dog.

[Demsrule86]

29. She will not name Bernie as VP

He has to much baggage.

[Fawke Em]

34. He has one tiny bag.

She has enough to be an airline.

Wow - that was some projection there.

Let's see. Which candidate is under a criminal investigation? Oh, yeah, NOT Bernie. And, ironically, not Trump, either.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

42. Trump University

just sayin'

[Algernon Moncrieff]

41. He also has a lot of young, enthusiastic supporters and the ability to raise money

...and no one is without baggage in this election.

[Fawke Em]

32. Forgive him for participating in a democracy?

The person everyone hates is Hillary. Don't tell me you haven't seen her negatives.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

43. I feel your pain. The poster is criticizing me, and I'm a Hillary supporter

Go figure?

But the Berners need to end the hyperbole. Not everyone hates Hillary Clinton.

[morningfog]

24. You really have little confidence in your candidate if you think Bernie

running risks her loss in the general.

[Demsrule86]

28. There is always a risk

But in my opinion...Bernie is the GOP's only chance of winning which is why they want him. It does not matter. she won. And overturning the will of the voter would result in a terrible loss as it should.

[bigwillq]

17. There's nothing wrong with the DEM primary

continuing until there's an official nominee. The rules were well-stated before the primary season began.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

18. No, although if it were up to me, we'd all vote at once.

I favor an up-to-three tier national primary. In January, we reduce any field larger than 4 to 4. In March, if it's over 2, we reduce to two; otherwise, we pick someone. In June, if we're down to 2, we get to one. Only registered Dems get to vote, and it's all done by mail.

Nevertheless - these are the rules. And if Bernie can pull a major upset and get this past the first ballot, those are the rules as well.

[bigwillq]

19. I'm for open primaries and letting the voters decide

I don't like the tier system. Let the voters decide. The others will eventually drop off on their own, whenever they feel like it.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

20. I hate that two tiny states go first and have so much influence.

[bigwillq]

21. They should all be on the same day

I would take a regional primary. One in Jan, one in Feb, one in March and one in April.

Northeast
South
Mid-West
West

[Algernon Moncrieff]

22. Not my first choice, buut I could live with it

especially if "who goes first" rotated every election cycle.

[Demsrule86]

26. I do not like open primaries

The GOP screws with our primaries...you saw that in Wisconsin.

[seabeyond]

23. Clinton is done with Sanders as she should be. Sanders boxing shadows.

[AgingAmerican]

30. So now you will begin wooing Sanders supporters, instead of attacking, belittling, lashing out?

Or will the resentful "Neener! Neener! Neener!" that we have heard for the last year from Hillary supporters roll on unabated?

[seabeyond]

36. Nope. I do not woe. People have a brain and they can figure it out or not. I have learned on DU

reason is not part of the conversation.

You do not want to vote for a Democratic candidate? That is your right.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

44. I also think Hillary is a pragmatist.

There is a rift. She could help to heal the rift by nominating Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders. It makes her position against Trump more solid, and ensures progressive turnout. Sanders is the more practical choice, as Warren's departure from the Senate means Scott Brown 2.0.

Castro solidifies her standing with Latino voters, but it won't win Texas for her.

Let's see what happens after 6/7.

[seabeyond]

46. Why would you hire someone you know won't be respectful, dogmatic in position,

Uncooperative? Warren, ok I could see. Not Sanders.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

47. The answer to your question is simple: Politics

That's what politicians do.

Also, I think Sanders would do better in the Senate liaison role than Warren simply by virtue of length of service.

[seabeyond]

48. They do not straddle themselves with a discontent, angry, undiplomatic man out to cause the party

and Democrats harm.

[Demsrule86]

25. If you mean by best for us

that it is best for Trump...then sure. And any money spent on a primary where there is a winner is silly. All you Bernie types long to put his name in nomination at the convention and then pitch a fit when he inevitably loses. Those of us who care about this election think that is spoiled and selfish behavior which helps no one but Trump.

[Trust Buster]

27. Sanders supporters will attack Hillary through November and during her presidency.

[Fawke Em]

33. That's what liberals SHOULD do to people who take right-wing positions, like Hillary. eom

[Trust Buster]

35. Yes, liberals should increase Trump's chances. Brilliant !!!!!

[seabeyond]

37. The same ones, just like they did with Obama. They ask to be "woe'd" now. Not gonna happen. Nt

[Trust Buster]

38. The irony is that the 2008 Hillary supporters admire President Obama on DU while the Sanders

supporters who are transplant 2008 Obama supporters trash him on DU. Sorry, the proof is in the DU pudding.

[seabeyond]

39. That is interesting. I was an Obama supporter. I also value his presidency.

When I listened to Clinton and Obama, I thought Obama might be a smidgen to the left and might.... I doubt it, might.... Address the Bushco criminality.

It wasn't likely, but I was hopeful. To me, that was a very important step to take.

Of course he didn't. He just started to work at shifting the directions Bush had gone. And he has been relatively successful.

They saw Obama as they see Sanders today. When they saw that Obama did not get all things done, within the first couple months, exactly as they thought it ought to be done, that was it. Obama was a traitor to the cause. It was a lesson for me to watch.

Then I watched them thru out Obama's presidency attack, attack, attack, not appreciating, seeing, valuing, recognizing all the things Obama has accomplished. To me that is a fool hearty way of walking thru life, expectations in politics.

IF Sanders were to win? The same would happen with Sanders. Only, he is not as smart, not as diplomatic, not as productive and capable. It is the unrealistic caricature created only for it to be knocked down. This whole things takes me back to child rearing. Gotta have, the perfect, only to realize it is not then throwing it on the ground, stomping it, yelling all the while, throwing a tantrum so everyone knows how unpleased you are.

I would say, maybe I just do not have high enough expectations. I personally feel I may have too high of expectation.

[uponit7771]

45. +1