and I think there's some value in what you're saying. I believe there may be some non-lunatic Republicans who would rather vote for Sanders than Trump or Clinton.

Personally, I'll likely be voting for Sanders whether he's on the ballot or not. Under no circumstances will I vote for Clinton, even though the Democratic party seems hell-bent on nominating her. It's up to them to figure out how she'll beat Trump.

Which brings me to the one issue I have with your take. You state, "We need to reclaim the Democratic party from the corporatists who staged their own takeover." But later on, you acknowledge, "So far we've been largely focused on winning over Democrats who don't care how corruption and the DLC has taken over the party and don't care how deeply flawed Hillary is ..." And to me, that's the heart of the matter.

I no longer have any confidence the Democratic party is worth saving. Collectively, it seems to have more in common with Republicans of previous decades than it does with improving the lot of the 99%. The conservative mindset embraces nothing that attracts me.

At this point, there are only two things I'm hoping for from this presidential election:

1) Bernie stays in the race and remains competitive to the bitter end.

2) An effort is made to organize Bernie's sea of supporters NOW for future impact. It's up to this group to stake out the ground on the real left, and to refuse to embrace any future candidate who won't champion similar policies.

Here's hoping.

Is Bernie willing to even contemplate running as an Independent in the general? Is he going to throw his support to HRC. At this point I do not care about spoilers this rigged system needs to be spoiled. The thing is that no matter who wins this farce of a primary or the general nothing will change as the Republicans and the Democrat's with power are complicit. Look at this ridiculous 60 vote caucus bs. The government all at every level, city, state and national is so corrupt it makes little difference whether they fly under a D or R. There are no checks and balances left, no rule of law and no democratic, parliamentary means for people to address their grievances. Both sides are complicit their is no real loyal opposition, the obstructionism is a pathetic illusion especially on the Democratic side. They are in cahoots with the Republicans they then use to scare the pants of the sane people in this country and keep the poplitical side show rolling on.

I blame Obama and the bait and switch hoax perpetuated by the Democratic party on a populace that had had enough after the terrifying Bush regime. I joined the Multmonah county Democratic party here in Oregon. I was a Deaniac and also joined DFA. I took time off from work in 2007 and volunteered at OFA Oregon headquarters which was just down the street from us. Shah was a precinct captain and worked on a local level for so called progressive candidates. Our city and state government is solidly Democratic.

The most amazing thing about this time was the how empowered the people were in my district and state wide. When canvassing people would come up to me and thank me, including Republicans who apologized for supporting Bush2 and his crime family. My block sported yard signs galore, people were engaged, even the most apolitical wanted some bottom up change. I knew when Obummer voted for FISA that I had been bamboozled and immediately quit OFA. I still voted Democratic and switched to working for local grassroots Dems. In 2010-2012 people here were thoroughly disillusioned and rightly so. No yard signs no lively neighborhood discussions about politics. No more participation in the county Dem. party.

The Democratic Party cannot be moved to the left. The left, center, right ideological political breakdown is gone daddy gone. There is only one direction the oligarchical duopoly is willing to move and isn't democratic. Democracy and human civil rights even the survival of the planet are all impediments to the pillaging mad agenda of those who own the place. So part of me held back when Bernie threw his hat in the ring and ran as a Democrat. Indies are 43% of the voters that is a lot of people who see through this farce. Why not run as an Indie? hummmmm..... Bernie has shown that he can raise money from ordinary people so why not build on the movement he has engendered and take on the owned nasty duopoly.

I did feel the Bern still do but I cannot get rid of my doubts that this primary is so rigged that once again we are being bait and switched and that even Trump is part of the by-partisan show. The stick to HRC's fake carrot of 'moderate'. I will not vote for HRC and I do hope Bernie continues to convention but then what? In a way the most disillusioning thing this primary season was learning the Dean was a pharmaceutical lobbyist and was endorsing Hillary. Will Bernie endorse HRC? If so why? Does he think it's too hard for the American people to face the reality that nothing can be done in this brave new inevitable world.

I don't even think Hillary and who and what she represents is the 'lesser evil'. It's a more effective evil because it does not look like Trump or Cheney, but it is. Excuse my pessimism but this whole farce of a democratic electoral process were going through just reeks to high heaven. Even Bernie is unwilling to come out against the war on terra. Smarter drones my ass. So anyway I'm just not willing to trust any of them with their victories for compromise and their fake kabuki show. Part of me just wants the whole damn thing to collapse and break apart.

I'll vote for Bernie and support him but I'll be damned if I'm going to ever get people to mess with change you can believe in or give them the hopies. Interesting times. I do place my faith in people as it's going to get worse and their is a point where as Bernie says enough is enough. I have seen the sparks of democracy globally like Corbyn, Trudeau or in Greece. We need a global solidarity movement as this blood sucking vampire squid is global. It is not however 'inevitable' or unstoppable. People can and do stop this shit when it goes to far.

'I'm taking back my country and the vehicle I'm using is the Democratic party' Howard Dean circa 2003-4