In 2016, the DNC changed the eligibility rules and, going forward, required any Democratic nominee for president to be a registered member of the Democratic Party. So how is Bernie eligible to run for the nomination in next year's primary? Did no one tell him about the rule change? Will he officially register as a Democrat before the first primary? Does he think he has enough rabidly loyal supporters who will be pissed off if the rule is enforced against him that he thinks the DNC will back down and bend the rules for him?
I'm a little surprised that none of the news reports about Sander's declaration mention that he is not technically eligible for the nomination he is currently seeking. That seems like a newsworthy tidbit to me. If it's not reported now and the rule is later evoked to give Sanders legal problems later on, it is just going to feed into his supporter's sense that the DNC is changing the rules mid-contest to stop him. (In fact, they changed the rules before the contest to stop him).
UPDATE: Thanks to some friends on Facebook, I have the answer to my question. After the DNC changed their eligibility rules The Vermont Democratic party passed a resolution proclaiming that Sanders would be considered to be a member of their party “for all purposes and entitled to all the rights and privileges that come with such membership at the state and federal level.” As the article notes, that grant of membership in the state party "could inoculate him against the DNC’s rules change."
I'm a little surprised that none of the news reports about Sander's declaration mention that he is not technically eligible for the nomination he is currently seeking. That seems like a newsworthy tidbit to me. If it's not reported now and the rule is later evoked to give Sanders legal problems later on, it is just going to feed into his supporter's sense that the DNC is changing the rules mid-contest to stop him. (In fact, they changed the rules before the contest to stop him).
UPDATE: Thanks to some friends on Facebook, I have the answer to my question. After the DNC changed their eligibility rules The Vermont Democratic party passed a resolution proclaiming that Sanders would be considered to be a member of their party “for all purposes and entitled to all the rights and privileges that come with such membership at the state and federal level.” As the article notes, that grant of membership in the state party "could inoculate him against the DNC’s rules change."
