According to an article in Politico, the barons of the center-left are worried about Bernie’s “momentum” and are trying to figure out how to stop him. I obviously share their concerns, as Bernie figures to be George McGovern for the 21st century. My thoughts are as follows:
- You absolutely don’t try to stop him by manipulating the rules. That only divides the party and makes defeat in 2020 more likely.
- Sanders doesn’t have momentum–he has a well-defined floor and ceiling. He can’t win a majority of the delegates unless the center-left is completely and hopelessly divided. You can’t rely on him to implode, however. He’s been through this process before, and he knows what he stands for, so you’re not likely to benefit from a series of gaffes from him.
- The key to this is for the center-left to agree on a favored candidate prior to the primaries and stick with him/her. It would be premature to do it now; you need to see how the realo candidates perform during the debates and on the stump for several months before you can determine who is the most electable. If you wait until after Super Tuesday, however, it will be too late. You can’t afford to have a Bush/Rubio style split going on too long in the process.
- Go negative on Bernie, but with some restraint, and always as an independent effort. You don’t want your candidate to be held responsible for your actions.
- If you’re feeling really Machiavellian, consider giving some money to Elizabeth Warren to make sure that Bernie has competition in the fundi lane as long as possible.
A note to my readers: I will be on vacation until May 6. Postings between now and then will be irregular at best.