Progressives Versus Centrists
I wanted to address the issue of Progressives versus Centrists in the Democratic Party. I used to be Centrist in my youth, but moved more towards Progressivism as I got older and started to feel that measured, incremental change was not good enough. We need larger scale change, in my opinion.
That said, while I consider myself a Progressive and want a Progressive Candidate, I would still vote for a more Centrist Democrat if one were nominated. Also, I would work hard to see that Candidate elected. I am not one of these Progressives who want to burn the house down if their Candidate does not win in a primary.
I bring up the divide between Progressives and Centrists on purpose. I think that this is a real division in the Democratic Party that should be addressed. It does not need to be a weakness, but could in fact become a strength.
Instead of Progressives and Moderates being at each other's throats, we should maybe take a lesson from Parliamentary style democracies such as those multi-party governments in Europe. We should form a coalition. Center Left and Left parties form governing coalitions all the time when no single party prevails in a majority.
I would propose that Progressives and Centrists in the Democratic Party form a coalition rather than be at each other's throats. A united Democratic Party would be the end of the Trump Regime. And the beginning of a government that works for the people and not just the monied corporate interests.
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And as you said:
"It's also overblown here on DU by a small, vocal group of people who are left-of-center (presumably) but not Democrats who seem to spend an inordinate amount of their time bashing Democrats, yet still hang around."
They always seem to show up during the primaries, and stay till after the general election, then they go away till the next election cycle.
" I would propose that Progressives and Centrists in the Democratic Party form a coalition rather than be at each other's throats. "
...'bold' pays off in today's political climate...if the pukes had the House and trump were our guy, would they impeach?
...Centerists are not 'bold', they're 'measured'...Progressives are 'bold'...this colors what we think and how we approach problems...in essence, we see things differently...
...I don't think it's as easy as holding-hands to give trump the boot...pukes are 'bold' and Progressive want to meet puke fire with fire...most of the time we're fighting Centerists to do this...
...as we argue amongst ourselves we are not being 'bold'...no one has yet to figure out how to successfully manage trump...this does not bode well for 2020...we need to toss a coin and soon...
...Progressive? or Centerist?...the winner should take the lead while the loser offers unquestioning support...right now, I'd say there's at best a 50/50 chance we'll give trump the boot in 2020...he's too good at being 'bold'...
...
"What are we supposed to do make an unelectable candidate our nominee?"
...what appears unelectable today is somehow getting elected...trump was unelectable...if someone were to ask me, I'd say most elected pukes are unelectable...but they're boldly getting elected...
...pukes control the Senate, the Supreme Court, the Presidency and most state governorships...for being unelectable they don't seem to be failing very much...
...IMO, we need to think, act and be bolder and lead the moderates and wayward pukes into our vision of a new better America...my hero, FDR, was a bold political salesman and thinker, not anchored in the past, but in a brighter future...
...
literally millions of times over.
As for your concerns about unity, the good news is that by far most groups and individuals in our very diverse coalition are united to achieve common goals. Don't worry that not all are; we're Democrats, not ants.
But just look at our candidates: a large majority, including all those who are believed possibilities to win, are from the large, diverse coalition and running on remarkably similar values and goals. And look at the midterms: almost all of the many new Democrats elected are part of our large, united majority.
Prog2020, we seem to agree that achieving goals requires creating working majorities. Being progressive also requires committing to and doing what is required to make progress happen. Otherwise, it's just posturing, a label, a banner to fight under.
You should ask yourself what the real goals would be of a subfaction that would insist everyone who doesn't belong to their group is not progressive. (The current rejecting term in your post is "centrist," completely ignoring where people actually are on the L-R ideological spectrum.)
Actually the main working difference has nothing to do with our common progressivism. Rather, we have a large progressive group made up of millions of individuals and many cooperating factions and a smaller, more zealous one that must oppose the larger group because it is the larger group. 
(Denial-spoiler alert: This has been studied many times over.)
Now me, I am a lifelong strong liberal, so naturally inclined to acceptance of and cooperation with others of various opinions, especially when they constitute a power center that can succeed. And of course as a liberal Democrat I believe strongly in progressive government. Therefore, I am inevitably part of the larger coalition united to achieve common goals.
As for the word "centrist," our grand coalition ranges from strongly left wing to, yes, centrist and/or blue dog, though centrism is out of fashion these days and there aren't many. That's unfortunate, btw, because America needs a strong coming together at the political center to survive. America must eliminate that giant divide-and-conquer rift.
Hope this picture helps, and that you will consider where your place in it should be. There's of course no end of good work to be done.
