you can't run for the President of the USA on pragmatism and expect victory.

you HAVE to be inspirational. EVERY candidate comes back to the middle once they actually win. shit, Trump was already doing it when he spoke at his party. but he was inspirational to his people - he spoke to all the racist, sexist, xenophobic dreams of conservative whites.

Obama was that inspirational candidate for the last two elections. Bernie was the inspirational candidate for Dems for THIS election, and the DNC got him out of the paint, and thus, here we are.

this is just like '04 when John Kerry was supposed to be elected simply because "anyone but Bush again." Hillary was that "anyone but Trump" candidate, and she wasn't even as good as Kerry with all her problematic aspects.

you CANNOT win on pragmatism. there has to be more.