2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: I am a democrat today only because of the Bernie Sanders campaign [View all]LuvLoogie
(6,823 posts)or candidate is a party member.
The candidate represents the party platform or his/her own in a general election. General elections only require one's eligibility and registration, not affiliation, in order to vote.
Generally stated, the Democratic party is a network of like-minded individuals who seek a consensus toward common viable goals achieved through governing policy and legislation. In a majority rules government those goals and aspirations are run through a binary filter of yes and no votes.
I state this because, Bernie has come to the conclusion that the best vehicle for his principles is the Democratic party. He seeks its nomination for the Presidency. So does Hillary.
As there are other members of the party besides yourself who seek to choose our nominee, our candidate is to be determined. As a Democrat I have every confidence that either candidate will SUPPORT Democratic principal's. So I will vote for whomever is the nominee. I believe, however, that Hillary is the candidate that will better PROMOTE Democratic principles.
So the question of membership motivation has to do with Democratic solidarity over the long haul. It's a legitimate question placed to Bernie and his never-before-Democrat supporters. And the question is really one you should ask yourselves. Where do you go from here?