In my previous blogpost, I posed questions for Republican officeholders regarding how they manage issues in which a career versus country dichotomy is front-and-center.

For Democrats, in general, the removal of Donald Trump from office is the paramount issue. Their Presidential candidates must also ascertain if they are willing to sacrifice their own candidacies for the sake of uniting behind the individual most likely to defeat Trump. In turn, are they willing to make any compromises to help one of them secure that outcome?

Yes, it is vitally important for Republicans to be defeated at all levels—federal, state and local. They must understand that most Americans are not ready to sacrifice their country’s well-being and security to the personal goals and benefit of a would-be  dictator. Republican members of Congress continue to violate their oaths of office and the Constitution itself.

So what should Democrats do? First, they need to publicly recognize that most of their Presidential candidates are bright, decent individuals. But, they are not equally electable. Biden and Buttiegieg are at the top of most national polls. Sanders and Warren share similar, highly progressive platforms while Deval Patrick, Amy Klobouchar, Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg, maintain centrist positions that haven’t sparked significant public support. Ditto for Booker, Gabbard, Castro and Yang.

With the initial primaries approaching, wouldn’t it be beneficial for Democrats to declare that this time of crisis demands unique action: they should unite behind Joe Biden, the one candidate who has demonstrated sufficient strength to defeat Trump. From there, let the campaign be about a choice for vice-president. Certainly, most of those remaining in the contest, along with a few others (e.g. Stacey Abrams), are well-suited to partner with Biden.

Although it would be a shame to in any way reduce the likelihood of Democratic control of the Senate, sufficient resources are available to diminish that possibility. The House seems safely in Democratic hands. State and local races are unlikely to be predicated on the national outcome. All in all, what’s required is some ego-busting and hard conversations, especially coming from respected politicians like Barack Obama. The Clintons would best serve the country by taking an  overseas vacation until after November 2020. They both remain toxic, especially with undecided voters.

Hard talk, country above all, and a laser-like focus on removing Trump. Can the Democrats succeed in all that? I hope so. We know the alternative.