As the Democratic National Convention came to a close last night, the political spectrum of the United States continues to be rocked by various political changes and scandals that are beginning to shape the dynamic of this November's presidential election. With Hillary Clinton as the new front-runner and Democratic nominee, the Democratic party is now as divided as ever. Bernie supporters have been forced to convert to Hillary's platform or exile themselves from the entity of the Democratic party.
However, this divide is as problematic as ever. Avid Bernie supporters and moderate Republics turned off by Donald Trump and his antics are even more off put by Hillary. Even with her high-profile endorsements by names such as Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg, party division could easily be the reason why she doesn't take the presidency. A divided Democratic party only means one thing; a divided vote.
With growing dissent over Hillary's email scandals and the DNC debacle over Bernie Sanders and the super-delegates, third party delegates such as Jill Stein and Gary Johnson are expected to pull in massive amounts of votes compared to other election years. While it is not impossible for these third party candidates to win presidency, the chances are extremely unlikely. These voter fluctuations to the third party ultimately grant less electoral votes to Hillary and a greater chance for Trump to win the presidency, which would deal a large blow to the Democratic party. Despite Bernie Sanders' endorsement of Hillary Clinton, many Bernie supports have relinquished their support for the chosen nominee.
In many cases, this division has already caused the Democrats to lose the White House. There is a lot of controversy regarding Ralph Nader and the Green Party in the 2000 election, where he siphoned away a number of votes away from Al Gore in Florida, causing the Democrats to lose by an extremely close margin and leading for a recount that went to the Supreme Court, which ultimately lead to George W. Bush's presidency.
Trump has already proved that no political gaffe could ever turn away his die-hard supporters. His antics and television personality have captivated conservatives and have unfortunately led to his nomination as the Republican nominee. A Trump presidency would spell disaster for any progressive change for the next four years and cause a rift in American politics, showing just how far American voters have fallen where television personalities are somehow deemed more qualified than experienced politicians.
And while many claim that his "outsider" mentality and disposition is his appeal, his history as a crooked businessman and narcissistic millionaire are far representations from what many claim portray the American people. In the twisted democratic system we have now, a vote for someone that cannot defeat Trump is a vote for Trump. This defeatist mentality is a signal for larger democratic reform, where a two-party system cannot force candidates onto us that many see as "picking your poison."
