Whether it's Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, the party needs no "rescuing"

Whether it's Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, the party needs no "rescuing"

Hillary Clinton entered the campaign for president strong out of the gate, then . . . nothing. It's surprising, as she has a crusading campaign manager who is skilled in base-mobilization strategies. Her campaign chairman, John Podesta, is no meek person. Yet the worst tendencies of the Clinton camp—overt cautiousness and insularity—have reasserted themselves. Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders' base-mobilization strategy is paying dividends in the two early states, Iowa and New Hampshire.

Now as I've previously discussed, the racial homogeny of those two early states plays to Sanders' advantage, and that's something he needs to continue working on if he plans to have lasting power this primary. In national polling, he continues to be stuck in the low 20s. But perhaps more importantly, Clinton is slipping below that 50 percent mark. She is losing her supporters. For the first time, a majority of the party appears to want someone else. Her strategy of laying low and riding this out hasn't worked.

I thought perhaps she'd go big after Labor Day, but this week is almost over, and still nothing. Perhaps corrupt and greedy media consultants are advising her to put this away with an ad blitz (in which they pocket millions in commissions). That would be unfortunate at best, cynical at worst.

But regardless of how all that plays out, there's one thing that needs to be clear: This primary field is set. All this talk from cowardly "insiders" about a white knight swooping in to save the party from Sanders is outright bullshit.

If Sanders wins, it would be because the party rank-and-file preferred him over Clinton, and that's fine! That's why we have primaries, to sort this stuff out. So if those insiders are truly worried about Hillary, then they should focus on giving that campaign a swift kick in the behind. Because it's either her or Bernie. And if those establishment cowards try to "rescue" the party from a surging Sanders, it would mean nothing short of civil war.

All that those establishment cowards need to do is look at the GOP field to see what civil war looks like. It suits them better than us.