General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Sanders to run as a Democrat -- but not accept nomination (2018 Senate) [View all]Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)As others have tried to explain in this thread, what happened in 2006 and 2012 was that Bernie won the Democratic primary, declined the nomination, and appeared on the ballot as an independent.
The Vermont Democratic Party cannot prevent him from appearing on the ballot as an independent, i.e., it cannot replace him on the ballot.
This year, it will again be common knowledge that, if Bernie wins the Democratic primary, he'll decline the nomination. Anyone who wants to vote against him in the primary for that reason is perfectly free to do so. Of course, anyone who wants to vote for him in the Democratic primary is also free to do so. May the candidate with the most votes win, regardless of his or her popularity on an online message board.
There may be some who would urge the party to find a way to overrule the voters, nominate someone who couldn't win the primary, and thus split the vote in the general election. I don't know whether that's feasible under Vermont election law. I do know that, feasible or not, it would be a terrible idea. I also know that it will nevertheless have its advocates among the Bernie-bashers.