If Bernie Sanders debates with Donald Trump prior to actual nomination of the Democratic candidate, I will immediately and unequivocally abandon all of my support for him as a presidential candidate. And I believe if you are a Sanders supporter, you should as well. I truly believe that were he to do so, he would split the Democratic party and forfeit his role as a leader of a burgeoning social-democrat progressive movement.
To debate the confirmed Republican nominee as a Democratic candidate would send a succinct message to Sanders supporters, Clinton supporters, and yes, Trump supporters that Sanders does not respect the Democratic party, its values, or its voters. The presumptive or potential nominees do not debate the other party’s candidate until it is known who our party’s candidate is. As such this action by Sen. Sanders has the direct possibility of splitting the Party in such a spectacular way as to hand the government, to hand the supreme court, to hand the presidency to the Republicans. It would be seen a very blunt statement to Sander’s supporters that he would not support Clinton as the nominee. To go off as a maverick candidate and act as though he is already the chosen nominee is an insult to the 53% of democrats who have voted for Clinton. It is an insult to the 47% of democrats who have voted for Sanders. It is an insult to his rational supporters who understand the dangers of splitting the party. And it makes it very clear that he either is no longer concerned about winning the election, or that as his detractors are right in their assertion that he is delusional, as he must know this can only harm the Democratic party at large.
And that’s a big deal, because despite the fact that we have had a very heated nomination battle, the Democratic party is still the only thing standing between the Republicans and some 70 years of social progress. And if you’re on dailykos, then I’m pretty damn sure we share those social values. Even if you think Sanders is an egomaniacal idealist with no way to enforce his policies, or if you think Clinton is a sell-out populist-player who picks up the hot social issue of the day for bumps in the polls, that doesn't change the fact that that we, the Democrats, support those issues! And so this diary is for the Bernie-or-bust Sanders supporters. And this is for the Support-her-or-get-out Clinton supporters. This is for the unabashed socialists and unabashed neoliberals alike. This is for everybody under the big blue tent while we still have a big blue tent.
If you want to see Citizens united rolled back, we need the Democratic party, if you want to see equal rights for the LGBTQIA community continue to move forward, we need the Democratic party. If you want to see sensible immigration reform rather than more Arpio-style internment camps in the desert, we need the Democratic party. If you don’t want muslims to be legitimately frightened for their futures in this country, we need the Democratic party. If you think that racism in this county has poisoned our justice system, we need the Democratic party. If you believe that climate change is real, if you think it is the greatest threat to our planet, then you have to understand, we need the Democratic party.
And right now that party means all of us. It means you, it means me, it means that asshole on the internet who supports the wrong candidate. And that means, for a lot of people, turning the other cheek, forgiving what can be forgiven, and all working together to try and salvage what we can. And that means not splitting the party in some last ditch effort to show off.
And if you are a Sanders support who thinks that we have the time or the resources to split the party and still pull off a win you are delusional. And I’m sorry for that, but If you think that incremental Clinton policies would be a disaster, imagine trying to start a new political party while the obstructionist Republicans are in charge.
And if you are a Clinton supporter who thinks that you don’t need the Sanders crowd, you are equally delusional. The Clinton name is going to rile up the Republican base and get out the vote for them, even with the loathed Trump as the candidate, and you are going to need every vote on the ballot that you can get.
And if you’re one of the smug anarchists who thinks that “well maybe 4 years of fascism would shake up the system” then you need to get off your privileged ass and realize how much that is going to harm marginalized people globally. I’m not saying that Sander’s needs to bow out. I believe he should keep fighting until the bitter end. His message is and has been too vital for pulling progressive views into the spotlight for him to cease. But he cannot act as the nominee pro tem and engage in a presidential debate with the opposing party’s official nominee. The only, only way that I will possibly retain some respect for Senator Sanders if he goes through with this debate, is if he very directly states that he will support Clinton if she is the nominee. Because only that will prevent this debate from further hammering the divisive wedge into our party.
So you know what, I’m going to end this hopefully. If Sanders says he would support a Clinton nomination, then he would have a prime opportunity at the debate to let freaking loose on Trump. He is an emotional firebrand and I honestly believe feel he would trounce an unprepared Trump in a debate. And in a way, that would even make up for this impetuous move.
But if Sanders continues to pursue this debate in the fashion he has already, circumventing the unspoken rule that there will only be debates between the party nominees, not the presumptive nominees, and not the potential nominees, then a split is all but guaranteed, and that is such a disastrous notion that I will no longer be able to call myself his supporter.