Bernie Sanders supporters need to learn to discipline themselves and bite their tongue.

Over the past few weeks, the mood on social media between Sanders’ partizans and Hillary’s has become incredibly toxic. Nobody participating in the debate can have failed to notice. Good humoured debate has descended into shrieking hysteria on both sides.

I have witnessed otherwise reasonable people lose their temper with each other over everything it’s possible for the campaigns to disagree on.

Full disclosure. I’m on the Bernie side of the debate. Not just for this White House run, but for the long run task of dragging the Democratic Party leftwards, kicking and screaming, away from where the donors sit on the centre right. For making the Democratic Party represent truly progressive hopes and aspirations.

So this is to anybody who agrees with me on that.

Stop losing your temper at Hillary supporters.

There’s still a small chance that Bernie walks away as the nominee. I don’t want to take away from that effort. But if you live in a state that’s already voted, you need to turn your attention towards your own local Democratic Party. You need to figure out who’s amenable to Bernie’s agenda in your locality and who’s not. You need to pour as much effort as you can into helping to change the character of the Democratic Party from the ground up, at every level.

That’s what Bernie means by having a political revolution.

Time will continue to pass. Soon it will be 2018. Who stands for the Democratic Party in those elections, and what platform they run on, is still very much up for grabs. If you want it to be somebody who represents what Bernie’s campaign is standing up for, you need to figure out NOW how to make that happen.

This goes for county, state and federal elections.

The Democratic Party is currently controlled by its corporatist wing. What you need to do is figure out how you can help the effort to bring the Party back to its grass roots, starting on your local level.

Only then will a candidate like Bernie Sanders have a fair shot at getting a mandate for election. Only then will he (or she) have enough support in Congress and from the states to implement a radical and progressive agenda.

Meanwhile, everyone needs to learn to get a hold of their emotions. Discipline is absolutely vital here. Think of yourselves as ground troops in a long war. Do NOT bring the team into disrepute by indulging in your own emotional gratification.

Losing your temper at Hillary Clinton supporters may make you feel better in the moment, but it lets your team down in the long run. Don’t do it.

Over the next few years, the aim should be to slowly remove the right wing of the Democratic Party from its current position of overall control. However, that does NOT mean any of you can afford to alienate those who happen to support Hillary Clinton at this time.

To get the things you want, to succeed in getting your country to adopt the policies you feel so passionately about, you must represent the very best of those values in the way you express yourselves. Hold yourself to the very highest standards. Treat your fellow citizens with respect and dignity.

Do not give your opponents a single excuse to paint the movement in a negative light. They will regardless, but you MUST NOT give them a valid excuse.

Argue with passion and resolve for all of the things Bernie’s campaign is fighting for. Try to change as many minds as you can. Do not back down, but REMAIN RESPECTFUL.

Alienating others is counterproductive.

Think of the things you want. Maybe you’re into Sanders because you believe in single payer healthcare, or maybe you’re in the Fight for $15, or maybe you believe in getting big money corruption out of politics.

All of those things are possible, but ONLY if you build electoral majorities for them.

You can’t do that while indulging yourself in the loss of your temper.

Make as many friends as you can, from all political sides. Make as few enemies as you possibly can. You never know who’s going to be your future ally on a particular issue.

If you’ve alienated someone through ill-mannered behaviour, they won’t be there for you in the future. If you retain respectful and cordial relations, today’s disagreements won’t prevent you from getting their support for something different tomorrow.

All of those who support Hillary are your closest natural allies. Philosophically, they’re not that far away from what you think. Although they may be your opponents for this election, they will be your teammates in other elections in future.

You will need them to help build the coalition you need to change America, and realise the vision of possibility that Bernie has inspired in so many people just like you. So don’t toss them aside.