It may surprise some readers that the vituperative conflict between the supporters of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton has been heating up lately. While it has yet to reach the level of embarrassing immaturity seen in the Republican primary, it has been passionate enough to split friendships and strain marriages (fortunately not mine, although my feminist, Smith-educated wife dislikes Hillary Clinton).

Politics has always been an obsession in America from the time of its founding. In the olden days, local folks would congregate at the town tavern to argue politics and, if enraged, hurl pewter mugs of ale at each other. Nowadays, the cyber-version of the tavern is Facebook where correspondents are content to hurl cartoons and insults.

And hurl they do! I have heard comments from Bernie’s troops about Hillary that sound like they were penned by Rush Limbaugh. In their eyes, she is an unscrupulous establishment shill and a warmonger whose only goal is to start World War III. Not surprisingly, the invective about her coming from the Right is too deranged to repeat on these pages. The response from the Clinton crowd is that Bernie is unelectable and inexperienced. As my 8-year-old nephew would say: “Blah, blah, blah.”

I have had several conversations with Sanders supporters who are in their 20s and 30s. They have the passion of youth, which translates into a level of enthusiasm rarely seen in a presidential election. It is ironic that both Sanders and Trump are touching the same feeling of powerlessness that many Americans rightfully feel. When you are played for chumps by Wall Street and Big Government — the players of which are now interchangeable — it is understandable that any new voice will resonate, no matter how shrill or irrational.

The fervor young Americans feel for Bernie is admirable. It reminds me of how I felt about Bobby Kennedy in 1968. Here was a man who had overcome his own failings to become a spokesman for the disenfranchised. His election might have healed our country. Instead, Bobby’s murder signaled to my entire generation that the political system was too corrupt to be redeemed. Not surprisingly, millions of us “dropped out” that year and attempted, with mixed results, to form an alternative. Now another generation is taking up the banner. Good for them.

What worries me the most, however, is that if Clinton gets the Democratic nomination, Bernie’s supporters will refuse to vote for her. They will refuse either out of righteousness, purity or spite but whatever the rationale, it could result in Donald Trump or Ted Cruz — the kid brothers of Mussolini and Joseph McCarthy — inhabiting the Oval Office.

I consider these two to be the most dangerous presidential candidates in recent memory and proof of how far the Republican Party has degenerated over the years. Even the few remaining conservative intellectuals are appalled by them. I am concerned that many of Bernie’s supporters fail to realize what damage these demagogues could cause. Sanders’ adherents want to vote their hopes not their fears which is fine, but here, the fear is tangible. I believe that some progressive residents of Franklin County are unaware that the rest of the nation is not like them.

In 2014, I drove from the liberal bubble of western Massachusetts across the country to the liberal bubble of Taos, N.M., and where I discovered more “Obama-Biden 2012” bumper-stickers than in Amherst.

You can tell much about the region you are traveling through by the billboards and assorted signs that line the highways. They changed markedly once I crossed over from New York into Pennsylvania. Every few miles, I was besieged by a billboard extolling the virtues of guns, coal, anti-abortion activism and Jesus (in terms of numbers, Jesus won). This cavalcade of conservative proclamations continued until I entered New Mexico from Colorado. Oddly enough, in New Mexico, where family and faith are practiced, not blabbed about, the signs disappeared.

My journey was a reminder that a majority of the United States is not located in some progressive bubble like Franklin County, Taos, New York City or Portland, Ore. While I am grateful these locales exist, I am aware of the sections of our nation where they do not. This wake-up call was a warning that, as flawed as Hillary Clinton is — and she is indeed flawed — our nation will be in better hands with her than the Republican alternatives.

In 2000, I made the cynical and fatal error of assuming that there was no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans. I duly voted for Ralph Nader. Anyone who still believes that Al Gore and George W. Bush are similar must have been comatose between 2000 and 2008.

In conclusion, here’s a suggestion for my Bernie pals. If Hillary gets the nod and you refuse to vote for her, please don’t whine about it if Trump or Cruz becomes your next president.

Daniel A. Brown lived in Franklin County from 1970 to 2014 as a teacher, artist, writer and photographer before moving to Taos, N.M. He remains a contributor to The Recorder and welcomes feedback at: dbrown1793@gmail.com