Swamp Rabbit read the tweet and said, “Who is this varmint and what’s he got against Bernie Sanders? Bernie ain’t even actively running for president no more.”

I explained to him that David Axelrod was a top advisor to Barack Obama who remained an influential political consultant after Obama was gone. He’s one of those Democratic dinosaurs who don’t yet realize they’re heading for extinction even if their current champion, Joe Biden, finishes ahead of Donald Trump in November.

“The dinosaurs like to gather in shady groves, eating low-hanging fruit and complaining that progressives and socialists are a danger to the nation,” I said. “The only thing they ever did for Bernie was damn him with faint praise, even as he was breathing new life into the Democratic Party.”

Swamp Rabbit scratched his head and sipped from his flask. “I can’t figure why the dude is dissing Bernie for not making a so-called stronger case for Biden. What about Biden making a stronger case for Biden? If he don’t, nobody else will.”

I took a look at the speech in which Sanders announced the suspension of his candidacy. Yes, he “lauded his movement” and all the people who worked hard to achieve goals the dinosaurs couldn’t quite countenance. Goals like universal health care and housing, a decent minimum wage, debt-free education, a full commitment to clean energy. Goals that renew the promise of FDR’s New Deal and reject the idea that helping multinational corporations and banks is more important than helping working people.

“There’s still hope for Biden,” Swamp Rabbit said. “He listened to Bernie. He just come out in favor of Medicare for peeps over sixty and he’s got a plan for the student debt crisis.”

“Biden was for the Iraq war,” I replied, “and he was a hired gun for credit card companies. He helped create the student debt crisis.”

“That’s water under the bridge, Odd Man. You’re gonna vote for Joe ’cause he ain’t Trump.”

“How can I vote for him if he never shows his face? Trump is on TV every day spreading lies and misinformation about the pandemic. Where’s Biden? Is he still alive?”

But Swamp Rabbit is right, of course. Biden will turn up more often when the virus levels drop. His gaffes are brutal, but he usually means well and his mind isn’t totally closed to new ideas. Most important, he isn’t a bigoted narcissistic fraud, incapable of leading efforts to end one of the worst crises in U.S. history.

He ain’t Trump.