In short, Joe Biden could very easily lose to Trump. Unlike Obama, he is not some once-in-a-generation political talent. He is a fading, washed-up operator with decades of baggage who has lost a step or three. Nominating him would be a terrific gamble — and given his record and staffing choices (one of his top policy advisers is the architect of the disastrous 1996 welfare reform), a gamble with very little upside.

For whatever reason, the Democratic establishment hates and fears the prospect of a Sanders nomination almost as much as they fear a Trump reelection, if not more. Perhaps it is because he would screw up a lot of carefully-planned careers, or break up the comfortable revolving door that keeps a lot of Democratic elites in hot tubs. Perhaps it is because he would indicate that decades of sellout compromises were not as necessary as they seemed. Perhaps they just don’t like him.

But Democratic voters, know this: The establishment is leveraging your fear of Trump to get you to support a weak, unsteady candidate. If Bernie Sanders calls to your heart, I recommend listening.