Love your preference for nominee. Examine them closely, but go with your heart, make that primary/caucus vote, play your role in the system, speak out about how your candidate is the best hope for America.
But, really, honestly, truly: if you are part of the crowd talking about how "if my candidate doesn't get the nomination I am …
… voting for the GOP candidate."
… not voting because that other candidate is morally the same as the GOP."
… doing one of the above to send the DNC a message."
… voting for my candidate as a write-in because I love them so much."
… then be ready to tell your kids why you let a President Trump/Cruz take over the White House and the country. Because it's on you.
I'm not saying that one or the other candidate deserves your primary passion. I'm saying that whether you think Sanders is a leftist lunatic or Clinton a centrist sell-out, either is far better than any of the three still in the running on the GOP side … and anything you say or do now or until November that brings support or comfort to that GOP nominee is unworthy of what either Democratic candidate stands for.
Don't let your passion to win, or your enthusiasm for your particular Democratic nominee, blind you to that truth: no matter what you think about a President Clinton, or President Sanders, either is vastly preferable to a President Trump, or President Cruz. They may not be your ideal as a candidate, but either of them beats the hell out of the alternative as far as liberal / progressive passions go. The nation, let alone the world, cannot deal with 4 (or 8) years of a Cruz, or Trump in the White House, especially with a GOP majority in the House and/or Senate.
Ignoring or denying that is simply a case of idealistic emotion overwhelming reason.
The Bernie or Bust people are in a privileged enough position where they think a Republican administration would not do them personal harm. It's as simple as that. People who recognize what's on the line, for themselves and for others, will actually remember the lesson learned in 2000.
+Brittany Constable I'm reluctant to ascribe actual motivations or generalize about position, if only because it's not helpful to the purpose. I also intentionally wrote not pointing to any particular candidate or their supporters; if through some unlikely course Sanders gets the nomination, I would be equally upset with Clinton fanatics that helped throw the election to the GOP.
I would be inclined to agree with you if I'd ever heard a Clinton supporter express the same sentiment. Clinton supporters tend to like her pragmatism, which doesn't really gel with a "let it all burn down if it's not exactly what I want" sort of stance.
+Brittany Constable yeah? Considering 12% of Clintons supporters (PUMAs) in 2008 voted for McCain I think that ship sailed and attacking Bernie supporters at this point with illogical concepts is not helping your argument.
Also, most Bernie supporters, being leftists, would vote for Jill Stein instead of voting for the GOP like Clinton supporters did.
But there are some – on both sides of the aisle – who think that it's preferable that the Presidency remain in the hands of the opposition, because it does so much good for fundraising and for elections for other offices. For example – anecdotally, it seems that every time President Obama talks about gun control, gun sales shoot up. The gun manufacturers, and the candidates that they fund, are probably fearful of a Trump or Cruz presidency because sales will go down.
Oddly enough, Cruz and Kasich are the two that seem to understand that it's better (in their case) for a Republican rather than a Democrat to win. Granted their alliance will probably fall apart, but at least they're currently talking about cooperation within the party. Meanwhile, Trump, Clinton, and Sanders are intent on crushing their opponents within their own parties, which means that the eventual winner will get as much cooperation from their primary opponents as Reagan gave to Ford in 1976, and Kennedy gave to Carter in 1980 – in other words, zilch.
I think the frightening thing would be a Candidate Cruz. From what I can tell he is downright nasty. Whether on religion, women’s issues, LGBT or tax, many ordinary Americans would be screwed over by him, but will vote for him because they of the sort of propaganda the Republicans put out.
He is a True Believer, and one who knows how to work the system, one who will get the support of a GOP congress.
Personally I prefer the centrist Saunders. What really needs to happen is a complete overhaul of the US political system – genuine 3rd and 4th parties, the removal of big money, and and bringing the nomination process into the 20th century, instead of a process that encourages extremist views.