There is no better place to start than the bad news.

Bernie Sanders had a bad night last night. Of course, it doesn’t mean we stop campaigning or that we write premature obituaries. It does, however, give us a chance to take stock of where we are, what the last five years have taught us, and what might happen after July, regardless of the outcome.

The bad news is that the Democratic Party isn’t going anywhere. The belief that Joe Biden’s nomination portends the imminent collapse of the party should be rejected. Some on the Left are insisting a crushing defeat by Donald Trump would mean the party’s disintegration. This misunderstands American parties and their resilience. The Democratic Party is the oldest party in the world — it has survived the Civil War, decades of political wilderness, two World Wars, and twenty-three presidential defeats (more than any other party), and it still commands about 12 million more members than the Republican Party and regularly wins the popular vote in national elections. Consider also that these four years out of power have only strengthened the party’s fundraising operations, with the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) raking in more than $12.1 million in January, smashing its previous record.