DNC Hamstrings Bernie Sanders's 2020 Run

Bernie Sanders supporters were livid in 2016 when leaked emails from the DNC showed that the national party had its thumb on the scales for Hillary Clinton during the primaries.

How do you think they’ll react to this?

Fox News:

The Democratic National Committee adopted a new rule Friday aimed at preventing non-Democrats, such as independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, from seeking the party’s 2020 presidential nomination, reports said.

The rule change, adopted at a DNC meeting in Providence, R.I., requires all candidates for the party’s nomination to “run and serve” as Democrats, Yahoo News reported.

Some supporters of Sanders — who caucuses with the Democrats despite declining to declare a party affiliation — say the move was motivated by “spite” after Sanders gave Hillary Clinton a run for her money during the Democratic primaries in 2016.

Or maybe the national party is terrified of nominating a candidate who can’t win in the general election.

But a source told Yahoo News it was actually part of a push to limit the power of so-called superdelegates — which, ironically, has long been a goal of Sanders.’

Even if there were no superdelegates, Clinton would likely have won the nomination in 2016. But Sanders supporters are delusional if they think their man would have fared any better against Trump.

The Vermont legislature may have inoculated Sanders against the change in rules:

But Sanders may be protected from the change thanks to a resolution passed in his home state, by which he is considered a Democrat, “for all purposes and [is] entitled to all the rights and privileges that come with such membership at the state and federal level,” Politico reported.

I don’t see how this rules change is aimed at limiting superdelegates. It appears to be a dagger aimed at the heart of Bernie Sanders. The Vermont socialist doesn’t really need to be an independent. He is assured of re-election this year thanks to stellar constituent services and the quirky nature of Vermont voters who support free spirits like Sanders.

But the DNC needs the energy and money that Sanders supporters bring to campaigns. They risk alienating a large segment of their base by targeting their hero. The only thing that’s certain is that Sanders will continue to be a fly in the ointment for the DNC and national Democrats.