By Former Assemblyman Steven Sanders
Dear Hillary,
It’s your old friend from New York politics. Don’t be put off by my last name. Bernie Sanders is no relative of mine. And although I respect his candidacy and his social egalitarian views, I do not think that he would make a particularly good President. I also think that there is a risk that were he the Democratic Party nominee that some crazy person like Donald Trump or Ted Cruz could beat him. So my advice to you is sincere. I believe that you have the best chance of winning the Presidency of any Democratic candidate and holding back the darker impulses of some in the electorate. But this election is not a slam dunk, and you could lose. But if you employ the tactics of destruction you could win the battle but lose the war.
Right about now I suspect there is some panic setting in your campaign as the polls show you lagging behind Bernie in Iowa and then followed by New Hampshire. Over the summer you led in both states by over 20 points and now you trail. Uh-oh. But six months ago nobody knew Bernie Sanders and you were running virtually unopposed. So a tightening of the race was inevitable.
There are some around you who will want to respond to the Bernie surge with the typical negative campaign response. “Hit him hard” I am sure they are telling you. “Go after him with a vengeance” others are chiming in. This is the typical political response. And if you succumb to the temptation it will cost you dearly. So here is my advice: Stay on the high road!
