I just had this exchange over at The Other Place with this Risen Tree person, who responded in what I found a needlessly snippy way to a diarist.

Risen Tree Mar 16 · 01:57:24 PM
If your choices were for President Trump, President Cruz, or President Hillary Clinton, and you had to pick one and only one, who would you pick?
If you cannot answer “Hillary Clinton” within three seconds of reading that, then we are done here. We will NOT make the same mistake as we did with Nader in Florida in 2000.

ME: Just stopping by to point out, politely, that you can certainly kiss off this diarist (not sure what you’d accomplish, though; down-ballot races are important), but you lack the sphere of influence to declare what any “we” will or will not do in November. Unless you have secret mind-control talents that you’d care to reveal?

Risen Tree 2andfro Mar 16 · 03:35:25 PM
Oh FFS...do you (plural) not understand what the word hypothetical means?

Jesus. There should be no “Hillary, but...” NO. Barring a colossal turn of events, Bernie is not going to be the nominee. It is time for Bernie fans to come to grips with that reality.

ME: Touchy? Or just humorless?

It was your last sentence to which I referred. Specifically, it’s not up to you to determine when anyone needs to do anything. We all walk around in our own realities; you, perhaps frustratingly, are unable to dictate the terms or timeframes of anyone else’s reality, or their responses to either.

The D candidates this year represent starkly different paths for the party, whether you acknowledge the starkness or not. That fact—call it a “reality”—suggests that more voters than usual may make choices outside your “should” list. The most you can hope from a rant here is catharsis. Persuasion does not appear to be your strong suit.

Risen Tree 2andfro Mar 16 · 04:05:59 PM
What the hell is up with Bernie supporters? Is this how you behave when it becomes likely that your candidate is not going to win? I swear to God...all these meltdowns that Sanders fans have been having are approaching that of Karl Rove and the Republicans on Election Night 2012. Jesus Christ, this is not a sporting contest where you pick your favorite team!

ME: Goodness, you call this a meltdown? Seriously low threshold for courteous discussion and disagreement you have there.

I’m simply pointing out that your implied “over, done, hop aboard the HRC train” comment is poor timing and likely to be ignored, at least through June. And possibly even in Nov. Because what’s at stake isn’t seen the same by everyone this year. No one’s asking you to like it, only to recognize that little brusque fits of impatience on your part (or anyone else’s) will move no one. Hint: the incessant references to Karl Rove are a wee bit over the top, though tediously predictable and not likely to win friends. Thought you should know.

n/t