Bernie Sanders is the only true non-establishment candidate running for president in 2016. He is the beacon of hope, honesty, and conviction this country has been deprived of for far too long, and quite possibly, this country's only shot for true Progressive reform. Though some might say Donald Trump is also a non-establishment candidate, this is not so. Donald Trump is not a puppet of the establishment, unlike his current running mates both Republican and Democrat with the exception of Bernie Sanders, he IS the establishment. He has contributed to multiple campaigns over his career, including Hillary Clinton’s. He is not “self-funded” like he claims to be, rather, he merely loans himself contributions to be paid back later. According to an article from Politifact, he loaned himself about $13 million in 2015, $1.8 of that coming from PACs, and only $5 million from individual contributions.

In contrast, Bernie Sanders has raised $96.3 million, 99.97% of which came from individual contributions and contributions from various Unions according to Opensecrets.org. Sanders is the only candidate not being funded by large Super PACs or wealthy special interests, therefore the only donors he represents are us, the American people. This is an extremely rare opportunity to elect an honest politician and battle corruption from the inside, but what if he doesn't win the nomination? Judging by the current delegate count (1,280 delegates and 469 superdelegates for Hillary Clinton, and 1,031 delegates and 31 superdelegates for Bernie Sanders) this is very much possible. So, how can we still have a shot at putting a true uncorrupted Progressive in the White House? The answer is former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura. According to The Daily Beast Governor Ventura will make a run for the oval office if Sanders loses the nomination. How could this help Sanders reach the White House, though? He could still have a chance through a Ventura-Sanders, Sanders-Ventura ticket. If Sanders ran as the Independent, whether Ventura’s running mate or vice versa, he would still be able to use the momentum from the large base he's accumulated since launching his campaign. Ventura would easily be able to widen the base Sanders has already established because he embodies many of the character traits that attract many people to Donald Trump. The former Navy SEAL is controversial, outspoken, nonconformative to political correctness, and, unlike Trump, is a Vietnam veteran and has a successful political career to fall back on. Many of these traits are what Trump supporters say they admire about the candidate so much.

So, imagine someone with those same personality traits, that attract large amounts of People, who is also a Progressive, or as Ventura would probably prefer “A true independent.” Ventura wouldn't launch his campaign until April or May, however saying, “They’re setting the groundwork for me because if Bernie loses, by the time we get to June, how sick are the people going to be of all these people.” Drawing support from those who are, likely, sick of all the Hillary and Trump commercials, I think both Trump and Hillary supports can find common ground in a Progressive/Independent candidate who speaks his mind no matter what people might think. This fresh new face plus the large Sanders’ base could still give him a shot at becoming president of the United States.