The stakes

Over the last week, two former mayors articulated the potential consequences of a Bernie Sanders nomination. Super Tuesday voters should take their warnings to heart. As Pete Buttigieg put it: “The time has come for us to stop acting like the presidency is the only office that matters. Not only is this a way to get Donald Trump reelected, we got a House to worry about. We got a Senate to worry about.”

Mike Bloomberg argued that putting Sanders atop the ticket would lead to a down-ballot bloodbath, including “a lot of gerrymandering down-ballot in states, which will hurt the country for a long time. But worse, at the federal level, you will have a whole bunch of judges — probably even two Supreme Court justices — that the Republicans

will appoint.”

Amen. As though to underline the point, the high court Monday agreed to hear another challenge to the Affordable Care Act.

Monday, realizing they have no path to the nomination and understanding that moderates’ fragmentation is Sanders’ path to certain victory, Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar backed Biden.

The former senator and vice president is not the perfect candidate, but he can unite the party and extend a hand to independents and disaffected Republicans, presenting nowhere near the downside risk of Sanders.

If he has a stronger showing than Bloomberg today after the latter poured a half-billion dollars into ads, it’ll be time for Mayor Mike to swiftly take stock himself.

There’s too much at stake.