We are in the primary and not the general.

[Kaleva]

It is quite okay to declare one is not going to support a certain candidate because of of that candidate's stand on certain issues.

It is expected that during the primary election season, a person chooses to support a candidate that most closely aligns with one's core values and not support any candidate that does not.

When the nominee is chosen, it is expected that we will all support that candidate, regardless if we supported that candidate in the primary or not.

[shanny]

1. Indeed.

The "then rump will win" BS is...BS.

[MineralMan]

2. Exactly. It is not OK, though, to literally bash one of our primary candidates.

Stating reasons for non-support, though, is fine.

[SergeStorms]

4. Exactly.

Let's not do the GOP's job for them. If we turn people away with hurt/harmful information and rhetoric we're only hurting our eventual candidate, ourselves, and the country. Trump and GOP controlled Senate must go!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. I'd like to add that the primary is the perfect time to raise these issues about candidates.

In the long run, it strengthens both them and the party. It's important to realize that our big tent is indeed big, and to learn how to get along with our friends and allies before we fight the opposition together.

[Doreen]

5. I really hope NONE of the candidates who do not make it to the general

do the same thing Bernie did. He should have IMMEDIATELY endorsed Hillary and strongly encouraged his followers to vote for her. Instead he had a tantrum because he did not win. By the time he endorsed her it was to late and his followers went to either stein or trump or just did not vote.

If I had a chance to meet any of the candidates I would ask them that if they do not make it to the general if they would immediately endorse the winner and talk to their followers about supporting the other candidate who won the primary.

The FACT that we need a Democrat in office should be enough reason to not attack the others candidates in nasty ways. The candidates and their followers should remember that only one will make it to the general and if we are looking at anything hateful our candidate may have said about another it is going to be harder to want to vote for another when we only have one choice.

This is one of the reasons I hate debates because they stand there and bash each other. Working hard at getting people to like them and dislike the others. This screws everybody over in the end because by the time the general is here everybody has been conditioned to what they like or do not like and that makes it much harder for them to switch gears and vote for the person who will actually be closest to their first choice.