Here’s my take and I’d appreciate any corrections or additional observations.
1. The Berniecrats are party outsiders who want to take over the party and control its direction.
2. The party doesn’t want outsiders who haven’t paid their dues jumping to the head of the line.
3. The Berniecrats are not focused on the party winning elections at some future date. They are focused on taking over the party’s direction right now and winning elections isn’t on their to-do list until they control the party’s direction. (They probably imagine that if they can just set the entire agenda that the average voter will jump at the chance to elect their candidates.)
4. The various arguers are using classic identity politics against each other.
5. My impression is, the Berniecrats are political idiots, who, if put in charge, would essentially destroy the Democratic party. If not put in charge, they will fight against the party’s chosen candidates and direction.
6. Overall impression; adults have lost control of the classroom. Democrats are in more danger from Berniecrat activists than they are from Republican opponents.
Don’t be so sure about the unpopularity of the Berniecrat agenda. I read a pretty interesting analysis the other day that really showed that the center of political gravity in America is economically to the left and culturally to the right. Populism basically. But the donors in both parties are the opposite, economically to the right and culturally to the left, especially as compared to the base in each party.
The difference between the Berniecrats and mainstream Democrats like Kamala Harris is not on cultural issue, they agree there. The difference is on economic issues, but if the Berniecrats win that, I do think it would make the Democrats more popular, not less. But also not as well supported financially.