What would Eugene Debs do?

The Democrats are attempting to con Bernie Sanders into running for president as a Democrat.

This would have two salient benefits for the Party of Wall Street.

First, it would shore up its quadrennial marketing hustle as the champion of economic justice for working people and the middle class.

Second, it would destroy Sen. Sanders reputation as an independent social democrat, effectively silencing the most effective opponent of political business-as-usual; in order to run in the party's primaries he would be required to pledge to support the eventual nominee -- if that is Hillary Clinton or someone of her ilk, as it will be, he would be committing himself to backing a politician who stands in contradiction to everything he has fought for politically.

Even if he didn't actively campaign for the Democratic ticket in the fall, his silence would undermine his credibility, and hurt the cause of reform by allowing the issues he has championed -- jobs, infrastructure, progressive taxes, fair treatment for veterans, affordable universal health care, energy efficiency, etc. -- to be ignored, and the campaign to once again to hang on the question of which candidate is the lesser evil.

Democrats Need Bernie Sanders to Run for President by Michael Kazin (The New Republic)