The Left and Sanders: Six Reasons for Critical Support

1) Greens and other third party advocates are wrong in thinking that by attacking Bernie Sanders, they put themselves in a better position for the general election and after.

2) That’s because the stronger the Sanders candidacy, the more the Democratic leadership’s inevitable attempt to destroy it will look like a coup.

3) The more it looks like a coup, the more likely Sanders supporters will view the Democratic Party as the politically and morally bankrupt entity it is.

4) And Sanders supporters will be more inclined to see the need for building a 3rd party and possibly support the Greens and other independent left formations subsequently.

5) On the other hand, if the Sanders candidacy peters out, the inevitable Clinton victory will be seen as legitimate. Greens should work to prevent this.

6) Bottom line: Greens and others on the independent left should support rather than undermine Sanders, positioning themselves to pick up the pieces after the crash.

John Halle blogs at Outrages and Interludes. He tweets at: jghalle.