Anyone can run

I know this post won't ameliorate any of the anxiety regarding Sanders or anyone else running who folks feel just shouldn't, for one reason or another.

Right now it's a real long list, and, let's admit it, there are going to be more.

And every single one of them will have marks in the plus column and marks in the minus column. And comparing them at every step along the way will be like comparing apples and oranges. Still, we will all get ourselves in a tizzy about how great "our" candidate is and how awful "their" candidate it.

I believe that some of the announced candidates have no place running for president. But there are those who said AOC had no place running for Congress, and I think she's a dynamo, so there's that.

The opposition will dig up anything and everything about any of the candidates, back to their kindergarten days and earlier. That's just a fact. And the gullible cultists will accept every single piece of dirt. The Russians, and others, will launch social media campaigns, overtly and not, and, again, the gullible cultists will slurp up every crumb. Again, that's a fact. Yes, we will get all hot and bothered, though we shouldn't.

The candidates need to be prepared to respond, or not, as the situation demands. We need very smart, very tech savvy candidates and campaigns. We need candidates to stay focused and on message.

But I digress.

I guess the point I'm making is that anyone can run. The weaker candidates will drop out even before the first primary. Others will fall as the primaries are held and as debates are held. The candidate who comes out on top will have demonstrated that she/he has what it takes to roll in the dirt with Trump or Pence or whoever ends up on the R side of the ballot. And the rest of us - all Democrats - every single fucking Democrat or Liberal or Progressive or Socialist or Social Democrat - must fall in line. No consideration of a third party candidate. No consideration of an independent. No splitting the vote. At a certain point, the burden is on us. Are we up to it?

Edited to add:

BTW, a propos of the apple/oranges at every step of the way, take a look at some of the posts on the latest threads page:
-- Biden vs. Sanders on Maduro
-- Sanders vs. Kavanaugh on rape/rape fantasies
-- Harris vs. Sanders on first day fund-raising
-- Sanders' age - eventually it will be Sanders' age vs. Biden vs. Harris vs. et al