Whether you think he's a revolutionary progressive whose changing the game of politics or a hopeless socialist whose all talk and no action, Bernie Sanders has made countless "Feel The Bern."
The Vermont Senator was a breath of fresh air as he addressed issues like wealth inequality, racial justice, college tuition, and Wall Street's recklessness. He gained the support of many young voters who, like myself, had grown cynical towards politics. The consistency of his stances in the past four decades made him a contrast to many of the puppet politicians plastered across television screens. While Sanders proved a worthy competitor, Hilary Clinton clinched the Democratic nomination this week after surpassing the required number of delegates needed to represent the party. Sanders supporters everywhere coped with the loss by trending #girliguessimwithher:
Although humorous, the hashtag is full of discontent. It carries a "I'll pick the lesser of two evils" ring to it by electing our next president through the process of elimination. #GirlIGuessImWithHer depicts what some may refer to as a broken two party system, where voters assume they have no other choice than to vote either democrat or republican (even if that means compromising their political beliefs).
When asked if he would consider running on a third-party ticket last July at the U.S Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Sanders replied:
"If it happens that I do not win that process, would I run outside of the system? No, I made the promise that I would not, and I’ll keep that promise. And let me add to that: And the reason for that is I do not want to be responsible for electing some right-wing Republican to be president of the United States of America."
Ballot access laws and deadlines for sponsors would make it very difficult for Sanders to run as a third party candidate and his recent meeting with President Obama suggests that his focus has shifted to party unity
and overcoming Trump:"I look forward to meeting with (Clinton) in the near future to see how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 [percent]."
So what are Sanders supporters left to do?
Voters must remember they have a voice. Whether it means standing with Clinton or a third-party candidate, Sanders supporters must not forget the importance of voting on Nov. 8th (and making sure they're registered
to cast their ballot beforehand). For many of us, it will be our first time partaking in a presidential election and there's no denying 2016 has been one for the history books. We've seen a reality TV show toupee spew slurs at minorities while rallying supporters (how did he get this far, again?), a Brooklyn-raised "democratic socialist" move a generation, and an experienced diplomat becomes the first woman to obtain a major-party nomination. The candidates made sure their voices were heard, now it's our turn.We have no other choice than to vote, how else will change occur?
