Bernie Sanders could well be the Democrat nominee. This is far from being a lead-pipe cinch; rather, it's an informed opinion.  Here's the straightforward reasoning behind it.

Sanders is on track to arrive at the Democrat National Convention, not with a majority of pledged delegates, but with a significant plurality of them.  Since pledged delegates are the only ones allowed to vote in the first ballot, the results will be inclusive.  That gives a contested convention.  From that point on, superdelegates, which make up about 16 percent of the total, can vote.  This give the establishment the opportunity to deny the Vermont socialist the nomination, especially if his plurality is slim.  

But this is something Democrat, Inc. will probably dare not do.  Of all the Democrat candidates, only Crazy Bernie has a hardcore, true-believing following.  The only other politician who has this is Donald Trump.  To deny Sanders the nomination would be to bring the roof down on the Democrat Party... maybe literally.  His followers are young and passionate, and many are prone to violence.  Boxed in this way, the Democrat establishment may well be reduced to bargaining with Sanders over his V.P. pick.

If so, the Democrat establishment will pressure Sanders to pick someone who passes for a "moderate" from within the party's ranks with the unspoken hope that the aged socialist with a heart condition will expire in office if he gets that far.

Such a V.P. deal could prove irresistible to Sanders.  He's called Crazy Bernie for multiple reasons, but he's not completely insane.  Sanders could feel that appeasing the establishment would give him the most likely path to the presidency, a perch from which he could begin to fulfill his lifelong dream of transforming America into what he calls a Denmark but critics say would be a Cuba.

Although there are a number of potential establishment V.P. picks, Hillary Clinton has certain unique advantages.  (Clinton's negatives are well known and won't be dwelled on here.)

1. Hillary is still a powerful force within the Democrat establishment and has the ability to raise vast amounts of money.

2. Being a woman, she brings a degree of diversity to the ticket, and it is well known how the Democrat base prizes its diversity.

3. Clinton still has a fanatical following among old-time, hardcore feminists like those found in the abortion industry and in EMILY's List. 

4. Although Hillary is not black, she has proven she can shamelessly pander with the best of them, even trying to affect a Southern black accent on occasion. 

5. Even if defeat and exile, Hillary Clinton has not lost her insatiable lust for power.  She knows that the presidential nomination is not hers. The V.P. slot, however, could give her a chance to sit behind the desk in the Oval Office as boss.  If Hillary smells even a hint of that opportunity, she'll spare no effort to seize it.  Billionaire Mike Bloomberg is already giving off hints that he might pick Clinton as his running mate if, against all odds, he becomes the Democrat nominee.  That's music to the old woman's ears.  All that Hillary hears is, "I'm wanted.  I'm needed.  I'm important."

A Sanders-Clinton ticket is a possibility.  Is it a winning one?  Of course not.  In fact, there's nobody Sanders could pick who could propel him into the White House.  The Democrats are due for a great trouncing in November, no matter who is at the top of their ticket.  The good thing with Sanders as the nominee, however, is that he will sink more down-ticket Democrats than any of the others.   

A Republican majority in the House would be a nightmare for the Democrats.  It would be a day-and-night difference between it and the current Nancy Pelosi–controlled House or even the Paul Ryan–controlled one.  Back in 2016, Trump was just starting the process of bending the GOP to his MAGA agenda.  Since then, he has made great headway.  Although not completely purged, many anti-Trump RINOs are gone.

If you want to see MAGA on steroids, give Trump a Republican House and Senate in 2021.  Crazy Bernie with Hillary in tow could help bring that about.

Image: Marc Nozell via Flickr.