The Patriot Post® · Losing Sanders May Yet Define the Future of Democrat Party

For those who thought that the Republican primary was a debacle for the decades, it appears that the Democrat primary isn’t without its problems. Democrat voters watch as their party struggles to unify behind one candidate, pulled between Bernie Sanders’ “political revolution” and Clinton’s battered pragmatism. And for the Democrat Party elites, the struggle to keep their power is far from over.

Just over a week ago, the Sanders campaign was all over the news due to the violence that erupted at Nevada’s Democratic Convention. The disunity among disheartened Democrats was something to behold. Feeling slighted by party rules, Democrats supporting Sanders threw chairs and had to be cleared out by security at the convention May 14. Until Nevada’s convention, Sanders’ campaign had tried to stay clear from negativity, choosing instead to stay focused on the issues of big banks and economic inequality. Sanders was gaining momentum and more people were turning their support to his message of socialism.

For what it’s worth, Sanders rejected the violence in Nevada. He stated that his campaign did not promote violence and that any accusation by Democrats that his campaign did so was “nonsense.” His supporters are clearly concerned that their candidate has been treated unfairly by the Democrat Party rules. Recently, the socialist has been demanding Democrat Party leadership “open the doors, let the people in!”

The party rules have benefited Clinton during this primary season. Just look at the 537 superdelegates — party members who can support any candidate they like — who have pledged their votes to Clinton.

By all indications, Sanders does not plan on exiting the race any time soon, even if Clinton clinches the nomination in the upcoming primaries by collecting the magic number of delegates. Why would he prolong his campaign?

Bloomberg notes Sanders has an incentive to stay in the race. “He and his strategists have said they want to maximize his leverage in the primaries to pursue a wish list of reforms at the July convention, which may include eliminating unpledged superdelegates and allowing more ‘open’ primaries in which independents can vote, along with changes to the party platform that call for reforms like single-payer health insurance and breaking up the largest banks.”

Sanders and his socialist followers feel ostracized by the Democrat Party. They intend to do everything possible to change things and they aren’t going to give up on their candidate. Michael Briggs, a spokesman for Sanders, suggests the Democrat Party would be better served if it welcomed and engaged Sanders supporters who have been excited and energized by the Sanders candidacy.

Indeed, Sanders might realize the goal he set himself as a strong protest candidate. On Monday, Democrat Party leadership allowed Sanders to name five people to the 15-member committee that will craft the party’s platform, the Washington Post reports. Sanders used his newfound power to name a DNC member who wants the party to be more sympathetic toward Palestine. Pivoting away from Israel, America’s best ally in the region — that’s Sanders’ foreign policy for you.

The party elites certainly do not want there to be such discord at the national convention as there was in Nevada, but the Sanders campaign may just forge ahead anyway — bitter rhetoric and all.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Sanders predicted the convention in July is “going to be messy.” That doesn’t necessarily mean violence — like the Chicago riots surrounding the 1968 Democratic National Convention. “Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go,” Sanders said.

During an interview this past weekend, Sanders indicated that he would not vote for Debbie Wasserman Schultz to remain as the chairwoman of the DNC. Instead he would vote for her opponent because his views are closer to Sanders’ own. Only three of the 45 people that he nominated to serve on DNC committees had been selected, he further complained, and none of his supporters had been chosen to serve on the Rules Committee. He added, “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.”

As it stands now, the Democrat primary is far from over. Sanders intends to push hard in the coming primaries and is campaigning very well in the all-important state of California. As noted by the Associated Press, “A come-from-behind win for Sanders in California — a Clinton stronghold and home to 1 in 8 people in the United States — would end the former first lady’s campaign with a thud, allowing Sanders to refresh his argument that he’s the party’s best chance to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November. It would still, though, almost certainly leave him short of the delegates needed to catch up to her. The New Jersey results alone may put her over the top June 7.”

Clinton will likely reach the number of delegates needed to clinch the nomination. It doesn’t mean that she still won’t “feel the Bern.” Sanders and his supporters, millions of them, want the Democrat Party to embrace socialism. They want it now and they won’t let up even if she wins. Keep in mind that many of Sanders’ socialist followers will not vote for Hillary Clinton. They despise her ideas, her arrogance, her corruption and the power that she has, just like many Trump supporters despise the Republican establishment sell-outs who have grabbed as much power as they could.

Clinton does not have the support of many voters under the age of 40, but Sanders does. Does the party fully embrace socialism to gain the young vote, or does it maintain business as usual? If Sanders loses, does he pledge his support to Clinton and convince his followers to do the same? If the answer to either of those two questions is yes, then the next question is: What can or what will Trump do to counter it? That remains to be seen or heard. Hopefully, Democrats will stay in a state of disunity all the way to the general election. Stay tuned because it’s about to get interesting.