By Rev. Alexander Santora

My first presidential election vote went to Democrat George McGovern in 1972. In fact, I was his co-chair, along with Joyce Calefati Booth, a prominent lawyer today, of the McGovern campaign at then-St. Peters College. I was impressed with McGoverns Midwest populism coupled with his deep religiosity. I was too young, ideal and inexperienced to realize that McGovern not only did not represent the majority of the Democratic Party, he did not represent that of the country. In the election he suffered a 61 percent to 37 percent defeat to Richard Nixon at the time, the second biggest landslide in American history, with an Electoral College total of 520 to 17.

He ran at a time of enormous systemic change in the country marked by protests over the Vietnam War, which he opposed, civil rights and womens rights. He tried to harness this rage but most voters did not buy it. What he did achieve was to alienate many blue-collar voters from the Democratic Party for nearly half a century. This allowed Ronald Reagan to venture into Hoboken for the St. Anns Feast campaigning for re-election in 1984. It was monumental that he would show up in the middle of staunchly Democratic Hudson County.

Why am I getting the feeling that the national Democratic Party is ready to make the same mistake by nominating Bernie Sanders to be its standard bearer? For one, I do not see how an Independent who claims to be a Socialist can debate on the same stage as dyed-in-the-wool Democrats, pointed out by Pete Buttigieg in the Nevada debate. Even plutocrat Michael Bloomberg is technically a Republican so ditto.

I think Tom Perez should resign as head of the Democratic National Committee. This nominating process, so old by now, has been going on way too long and mirrors a vanity contest. What chops does Rep. Eric Swalwell have to even stand on the debate stage let alone Tulsi Gabbard. The Democrats allow anyone to run, draining needed campaign funds for the eventual standard bearer. Now the knives come out and instead of savaging Trump, who not only lowered but eliminated any bar for a president, they give Trump ammunition for the general campaign.

Trumps election was a fluke allowed by 77,744 voters in three states. And his ratings show he still does not have the support of most of the American people. Yet, the Democrats will hand him re-election because they fail to read the need for a moderate candidate who can beat Trump. My choice is Joe Biden, who can go toe-to-toe with him. He has vast experience and can hit the ground running. I do not think a Socialist, a gay man or a woman can win this time round. I would vote for the latter two when the time is right as I did for Hillary in 2016. Trumps re-election would precipitate a second Civil War in this country and may permanently fracture our international alliances.

There is still hope if Buttigieg and Klobuchar drop out soon and their followers move to Biden. Warren is passionate but she has fallen too far. Sanders is too arrogant and, like Trump, narcissistic enough to hurt the partys chances by fighting to the bitter end and giving his supporters reason to sit on their hands and stay home Nov. 3.

I predict a brokered convention and the Democrats have one other trick to pull out of the hat. I think the best person to lead the party to victory and put Trump in his place is someone who has not run in primaries or debated but showed her mettle over time and given Trump a dishonor he takes to eternity. She earned the respect of the American people. I think the Dem convention delegates could vote by acclamation for Nancy Pelosi.

Rev. Alexander Santora is pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church in Hoboken. He writes a weekly column on faith for The Jersey Journal.

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Who is the best Dem candidate to face Donald Trump? Heres a thought | Opinion - nj.com