Whenever I hear or read that Nader cost Gore the 2000 election, I realize that I do not belong in the Democratic Party. I often register in the party because I am voting for a particular candidate or I believe that as an independent I may not be able to vote for the Democrat (as with Bernie Sanders). Since many people in California who were registered "no party preference" had trouble getting Democratic ballots, my fears were well founded.
Anyone politically naïve enough to still be trotting out the simplistic cliché that Nader was responsible for Gore's loss, is a Democrat who takes no responsibility for his or her party's mistakes.
The reasons why Gore "lost" the election are numerous. He did not ask for a full recount in Florida. The Democrats let the Supreme Court appoint a president, which should be illegal in a democracy. More registered Democrats voted for Bush than voted for Nader. And, the voting process was so skewed in Florida during that election, that who really knows if Nader actually got the votes attributed to him?
So, Democrats, be warned. Every time you trot out that simplistic reason for Gore's "loss" (I put that in quotes because he did not lose the 2000 election), you alienate another person or persons from voting for your Democratic presidential candidate. And, you prove that your party learned absolutely nothing from that "loss." Scapegoating an outsider is always easier that introspection into the multiple causes of a particular defeat.
There are many Democrats who are actually amazed that Bernie Sanders did so well in the primaries. They have not been paying attention to what is happening in our country. The movement that has been growing for years took off with the addition of a whole new generation this cycle. They are not Democrats. They are not Republicans. They are citizens who don't buy into the "with us or against us" rhetoric that George Bush made so famous.
Don't even think of trying to scare these people into voting for Hillary. They don't vote from fear. They vote for purpose, vision, and progressive values. The inclusion of so many of Bernie's platform planks into the Democratic Party's platform with Hillary at the helm, are good reasons to vote for her. The more Bernie and his issues are taken seriously by the Democratic Party, the more likely the Berniecrats will turn out and vote for Hillary in November -- and, vote for Democrats up and down the ballot. It's that simple.
Bernie supporters will not vote for Trump, but they will also not be manipulated into voting for Hillary. Give them enough reasons to believe that a Hillary Clinton administration will continue with the platform adopted at the Democratic Convention and that her cabinet will also include people who advocate -- and, will push for -- the issues that Bernie championed in his campaign. Then, the turnout will guarantee a Democratic Party win on many levels of government.