The wonkish don't come much more sedate and reserved and strategically inoffensive than Fareed Zakaria. The Washington Post columnist and host of CNN's "GPS" is a model of op-ed diplomacy and tact; the man never gets ruffled, he never shows distemper, and he rarely says anything as bluntly as this, in his latest column:
[He] … makes the Republicans look like models of sobriety and scholarly exactitude…. [His] supporters argue that all [criticism of his political program] misses the point. [He] is setting forth an "idealistic" vision on purpose — his goal is to shift the spectrum…. He is painting with a broader brush, being an authentic man who speaks his mind, willing to present bold ideas geared to capture the imagination....
Am I speaking about Bernie Sanders — or Donald Trump?
This raises an interesting prospect.
If anyone other than Trump is the Republican nominee, that nominee will need to vigorously distance himself from Trump and the more notable aspects of Trump's political program, which would be pure poison in the general-election season. I very much doubt the nominee would even care to be seen in the presence of Trump, who is the antithesis of any general election's mark: moderate voters.
For the same reason, Hillary will need to run from any alienating stain of ideological extremism — that being, that which has attracted millions of "progressive" Democrats and intoxicated independents. Could she, then, afford to be seen in Bernie's presence? Time and again, on the campaign trail? Throughout the general? I would very much doubt it.
The prospect — a quite interesting one — is therefore this: It'll be a dicey proposition for Hillary to keep Bernie and his most ardent followers within the fold — since she'll have to keep Bernie and Bernie's spectrum-shifting, "bold ideas" chained outside.