As I write this, there is a rec’d diary by an individual who claimed that hearing Susan Sarandon say she wasn’t sure she would vote for Hillary if she were to become the nominee had convinced himer that...

Now I know that I need to vote for Hillary right now, and to encourage everyone I know, and those I don’t know, to do the same. Right now.

Really?  Where is the logic that leads one to such a conclusion?  If anything, from where I’m sitting, the opposite conclusion would make far more sense.

Let’s keep in mind that the diarist went out of hiser way to say that shehe liked Bernie’s positions on the issues, mostly, which suggested that shehe could see himerself supporting either candidate in the Fall.

So if you find both candidates acceptable, i.e., worthy of your vote in the Fall, but you discover that some of Bernie’s supporters might not vote for Hillary as the party’s nominee…

...and you make the crucial assumption that Hillary’s supporters can be counted on to vote for Bernie if he were to win...

...then it would make much more sense to make sure that Bernie wins the nomination, since the downside consequences would be less severe if he were the nominee than if she were the nominee, given that your ultimate goal is to defeat the Republicans.

Right?

Now, as a Hillary supporter, you might feel outraged that some Sanders supporters would not support Hillary-as-nominee, but how does doubling down on the more risky choice help to minimize the possibility of failing to defeat the Republicans in the Fall?

If they are both acceptable to you, then why wouldn’t you go with the one that is more likely to ensure more total votes for the Democrat in the Fall?  Especially considering Sanders’ evident strength among Independents?

You might not like what appears to be the incredible unfairness of Sanders supporters being so intolerant of Hillary’s candidacy, but if that is the reality you are dealing with…

...and you believe what you are saying about the supreme importance of winning the general election…

...and you believe that Hillary’s supporters can be counted upon to support Bernie if he became the nominee...

...then why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to make sure that the ‘intolerant’ faction wins the nomination, since it would optimize the party’s chances of winning in November?

That is the course of action dictated by logic, if you assume the premises that have been stated.

.

It would appear then that the diarist’s conclusion was based ultimately upon a failure of logic.  

There is another possibility, however.  It may have been the diarist’s intent to simply arouse some resentment toward Bernie Sanders’ supporters for not being ‘Good Democrats’ (which only makes sense if one assumes that Hillary’s supporters would be Good Democrats).

If this was indeed the intent, then the logic-challenged appeal that was made can be understood as little more than a call to punish Sanders supporters for being Bad Democrats, no matter how much damage it could do to the Democratic Party’s prospects for winning the general election.

And that doesn’t make a hell of a lot of sense either, does it?