The 2016 presidential campaign has been unlike any other. Hundreds of educated professionals, people who literally study politics for a living, have admitted that this election is something that they have never seen before. As we are nearing the end, we are given two presumptive nominees: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
After a string of losses, many say the Bernie Sanders campaign has reached its end. Several major political sources say that he has no chance at winning the nomination, even with the possibility of super-delegate turnarounds. Although this may be true, the fact remains that Sanders has left a permanent mark on the U.S. and has changed the minds of millions of people across the nation. Sanders has rounded people up and taught them to fight for what they believe in, fight for justice, for honesty, and above all, our rights as Americans. Other candidates tried to walk in his shoes. They tried to motivate and inspire like he did, but could never truly captivate a crowd (cough cough Clinton). Sanders' rallies attracted nearly 10,000 people every time while the other candidates couldn't gather even half of that size. On the day that Hillary came to speak at my school, SUNY Purchase, she attracted about 400 people. At the same exact time, Bernie held a rally in the Bronx where 15,000 people gathered in the park and 2,000 waited at the sidelines.
Whether you support him or not, there is no doubt that the Sanders campaign began a political revolution. Even President Barack Obama, who has publicly endorsed Clinton, has said that Bernie has done wonders for this country.
"...But just like eight years ago, there are millions of Americans, not just Democrats, who've cast their ballots for the very first time. And a lot of that is thanks to Senator Bernie Sanders, who has run an incredible campaign. I had a great meeting with him this week, and I thanked him for shining a spotlight on issues like economic inequality, and the outsized influence of money in our politics, and bringing young people into the process."
-Barack Obama
Bernie had a lot to say, and Americans listened. I am sad to see that he may not be our president, but it is truly inspiring that he has not given up. He has stated that although all the math adds up, and he will probably lose the nomination, he will not back down, and will continue campaigning. It's incredible what this man has done throughout his campaign. I followed the Mitt Romney and Obama campaigns a few years ago, but since I couldn't vote, it wasn't all that important to me. I was excited when Obama won, and I got worked up over the debates, but that was pretty much the extent of it. Now that I am 19 and able to vote, it was really important for me to stay involved in this election. I was unable to receive an absentee ballot, so in order to vote I had to drive about two hours in traffic back home just to vote for Bernie. It was truly exhilarating, and I can't stress how important it was for me to vote that day. I know that I am not alone in this. I know that there are millions of millennials like me who were ecstatic to be voting for the very first time. And I think we owe that excitement to Sanders.
On behalf of myself and the rest of your supporters, I want to thank you, Bernie, for motivating me and opening my eyes to what needs to get fixed in this country. Thank you for being the only politician that cares.
