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Conventional wisdom says that you are likelier to get people to do as you wish if you first get them to see you as being one of them, aka, get them to identify with you. Politicians sometimes mess up this technique, such as by wearing camo to hunt, which is more out of place (and dangerous) than wearing a three-piece suit to do farm work.

The Hillary 2016 primary campaign used the strategy abundantly in attempts to herd left-veering strays. Almost as soon as Senator Sanders announced he was running for POTUS, Hillaryward Herders, from message board posters and twits (sic) to professional political journalists and commentators, declared themselves to be supporting Bernie Sanders. Some amateurs even claimed to be working for his campaign. None of the Hillaryward Herders who pretended to support Bernie had a single positive word about Bernie or his supporters, though. Rather, they would post things like, "I support Bernie, but I give Hillary credit for detailing her proposals." Or, "I support Bernie, but I can't take another second of Democrats bashing Hillary 24/7."

Over time, one Hillaryward Herder or another would announce that, because of some specific thing Bernie or his supporters had just done, the Hillaryward herder was "now" supporting Hillary (#bernielostme). Soon, however, the lone flaw they cited proliferated into incessant, often vicious, criticisms of Bernie and "Bernie Bros." Some Hillaryward Herders never posted or twitted (sic) anything after the California primary--at least not under the same screen name. Others (or their screen names) vanished forever around Tuesday, November 8, 2016. I recount the above because herders are at it again.

As you probably know, some supporters of Sanders who wish to move the country leftward are trying to do so from within the Democratic Party ("DemRemainers"). Others, however, have vowed never to vote for another Democratic politician, no matter what. (DemExiters). Rovian herders have been doing their work within each of these groups.

When infiltrating DemRemainers, herders use the word "progressive" when describing almost any Democratic candidate. Even if progressive Democrats get elected, establishment Democrats have little to lose. At best (for establishment Democrats), establishment Democrats will rapidly Borg self-styled Berniecrats, Our Revolution Democrats, Justice Democrats and other supposedly "progressive" Democrats who cropped up after Sanders ran. Meanwhile, Democratic and Republican Capitol Hill veterans will be able to outmaneuver the new crop of "progressive" Democrats and kabuki outvote them. Maybe the newbies will even get more "pragmatic" and "realistic" on their own, after being thwarted repeatedly. And, maybe some self-styled progressives aren't really all that leftist, anyway.

At worst, the new batch of "progressives," if elected, will increase the size of the Democratic Caucus, helping Democrats become the majority Party. Simply becoming the majority Party again will mean, among other things, Democratic Committee chairs, Democratic Committee majorities, a Democratic Majority Leader controlling the floor and the like--things that, in Congress, are 95% of the game. Oh, and more donations. Those things certainly warrant attempts by establishment Democrats to herd DemRemainers. That leaves DemExiters.

How to herd DemExiters: Pretend to be on their side and/or one of them. Remind DemExiters, perhaps subtlely, that "minor" Parties don't win many elections and are therefore relatively powerless, especially in a Presidential election. Throw in just the teeniest smidge of how horrific another Trump term or Republican majority Congress would be. Advise that dissidents will have much more clout if only they all joined with each other to choose a single candidate from one of the "major" Parties to endorse. At this juncture, at least, say nothing about which "major" Party. After all, how likely is it that left-leaning strays would agree to endorse Trump--or any Republican? Another tactic might be to ask DemExiters to vote for Democrats if no leftist candidate is running for a given office. Given that Dembots believe that Hillary would have become President had it not been for Green votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, herding DemExiters too, seems worth the effort.

One problem with this "strategy," is that the Working Families Party has engaged in a form of this since 1998; and, even with union backing, has not moved Democrats left. Turns out, politicians don't care why you vote for them or endorse them, as long as you vote for them or endorse them. Another problem with this strategy is that it is suspiciously like "lesser of two evils," or LOTE voting. Members of the left have engaged in LOTE voting for generations, while conservatives of both parties became more and more powerful.

Our two largest political parties now consist of a Party of "moderate Republicans of the 1980s who, for whatever reason, are officially registered as Democrats" and a Party of even less desirable Republicans who are officially registered as Republicans. And both these varieties of Republicans just keep moving further right at an accelerating pace. That is not the lesser of two evils; it's 99% Hell.

Speaking of the primaries: Did you wonder why neoliberal Dembots expected to win you over to their side by abusing you? Well, as Freud (and Occam?) may or may not have said, "Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar." Maybe, just maybe, Dembots were abusing you because they wanted you out of "their" Democratic Party.

Freed of the "looney, far, far, fringe left" (never enough pejorative modifiers!), the Democratic Party would be better able to pick up two two indie and/or moderate Republican voters for every one of you embarrassing leftist lot it sheds (or so they claimed). And, the Party would not have to worry about disgruntled Democrats grumbling inside the "tent," thereby infecting Democratic loyalists. No Labels heaven! Besides, if Democratic stealth herders can get even DemExiters to endorse and vote for Democratic candidates, isn't the New Democrat Party really better off without leftists?

In any event, leftists now need to watch out (1) for their obvious enemies; i.e., the establishment; (2) for infiltrators of DemRemainers who allegedly want to elect more "progressive" Democrats to take the Democratic Party left; and (3) for ostensible "allies" of DemExiters with bright ideas about how DemExiters, including members of newer parties, can be powerful. Bottom line: Stay alert!