It serves the Party for Sanders to stay in the race.

[fishwax]

48. i don't think it matters whether he stays in the race or not. what matters

is how his supporters handle themselves and how the supporters of his opponents handle themselves.

If he stays in, I hope his supporters focus on an affirmative case for his priorities, and stay clear of any attacks on biden. Biden is no longer an opponent, because for all intents and purposes that battle is lost. So continue to fight for priorities, but don't fight against the presumptive nominee. That only sows division and dampens our chances.

At the same time, I hope supporters of all our great candidates will focus on Biden's clear and vast advantages over trump. And I hope we will avoid attacks on sanders or his supporters; they are no longer opponents, because for Biden that battle is won. Attacking Sanders and his supporters does no good, and only sows division.

I have no doubt that russians are working to interfere again in our election, and it seems only natural that attacks on biden will be part of the programme, as will attacks on sanders and his supporters.

During the hotly contested 2008 primary, Obama supporters on DU adopted a simple mantra: let it sink. Rather thab taking the bait on such attacks, they just didn't respond, and let the threads sink. It was effective in two ways: it lessened the impact of negative threads, and it allowed Clinton supporters to process their grief and frustration in a long and hard-fought primary so that (as the vast majority did in 2008 and 2016 and will in 2020) they could get back on board behind the nominee after their cadidate lost.

The segment of Sanders supporters who may talk about not supporting the nominee or attacking Biden as more of the same or whatever simply aren't relevant right now. And that's fine. Let 'em be irrelevant. The reality of defeat inspires all sorts of emotions, etc. But most are rational, and will come around. The ones that don't still aren't relevant, and we have mich more to gain by fighting the real opponents--the one over there, playing golf--and the ones cheering while nero plays golf and the country burns.