The DNC and/or state orgs should change their rules

[Jim Lane]

25. I keep asking how the DNC could set such a rule and I keep not getting an answer.

Most of the convention delegates are chosen in primaries. The rules for ballot access in each primary are set by each state (or other entity holding a primary). Are you suggesting that the DNC try to dictate to state legislatures who can appear on their ballots? Or when you write "There should also be a rule...." do you mean that several dozen state legislatures should all jump to attention and enact such a litmus test, to make sure that the voters don't have the option of nominating a candidate who doesn't meet with your approval?

I also ask how the rule would affect candidates from states that don't have partisan voter registration. Must the prospective candidate show a tattoo of a kicking donkey on his or her butt (along with an affidavit from the tattoo artist that it's at least five years old), or show other indicia of partisan loyalty (maybe donations to Democratic candidates in a certain minimum amount) that you find acceptably convincing?

The OP referred only to "party backing". I interpreted this to refer to money and other support, not ballot access. IOW, if the ignorant riffraff hoi polloi voters had the bad taste to nominate someone who didn't meet a standard set by the party oligarchs, then the oligarchs would be grudgingly forced to accept that person as the Democratic nominee (what with democracy and suchlike), but wouldn't spend any money or deploy any other party resources for him or her. That step, reprehensible as it would be in my mind, would at least be within their power. Declaring a prospective candidate "ineligible", however, would not be.