Foto by Elbmaedchen / Flickr. All rights reserved.

Dear Hillary,

I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, that you were unaware that your underlings so badly wanted to see you win that they were willing to cheat to help you gain the nomination. So you’ve accepted the resignation of the head of the party, who was not a neutral player, but rather, a key member of your team. (Appointing your 2008 campaign manager as head of DNC was a conflict of interest, and serious mistake.) As head of that team yourself, you must now do the honorable thing of passing the baton to Bernie Sanders, as your team has not won the nomination honestly, as everyone can readily see. He is an honorable contestant, who can win this race. Your team is tainted, and your nomination is flawed — a fact which will ever follow your bid.

I want to think you’re an honorable person, too. But too many voters are unwilling to trust you. Now you can demonstrate your trustworthiness and honorable intent, or forever bear the consequences of an illegitimate effort. You have alienated too many to be able to win, so you are likely to lose, as many voters will refuse to vote for a team that cheats. I certainly won’t.

And the worst is yet to come.  Leaked emails are just beginning to spill.  Wait until some of the choice emails from your private server — you know, those among the 30,000 you culled, withholding them from the FBI, but not before the Russians copied them — when they arrived, you will wish you had allowed Bernie to carry the torch!  Better to bow now honorably, than to lose to such a loser as your opponent.

[Readers who agree could vote for my call at Medium — please, sharing that link with others, as well.]