It is old news that Hillary Clinton is officially the Democratic nominee for the 2016 presidential election. It is old news that Bernie Sanders supporters, like myself, are disappointed. But we Bernie supporters seem to be divided in our actions in response to the nomination. Many, like myself, will vote Hillary Clinton in November, in part to keep Donald Trump out of the oval office. Others, members of the Bernie or Bust movement, will not, voting instead for a 3rdparty candidate or not voting at all (with the exception of a few turning to Donald Trump). This is written to you, Bernie or Bust––this is me urging you—no, begging you—to be wise with your vote this year.
Before I explain why I have shifted my support to Hillary Clinton and why I believe you should too, let me tell you that I understand what you are doing and I am proud of everything that has happened this year as a result of Bernie and his supporters. You have every right to be angry with the nomination and with the DNC scandal that has recently surfaced. There is absolutely no question that your frustration and your loss of trust is valid. My concern is not with why you are angry, as I am angry myself, but in how you are expressing your anger. I am immensely grateful to have been a part of this political revolution this past year and to have watched such passionate people come together to fight for great changes in this country. I am confident that this revolution will continue, because I have faith in the persistence and dedication of every Bernie supporter.
However, I have been utterly confused this past week, as I have watched people I once felt allied with turn into strangers, willing to risk a Donald Trump “presidency” (or dictatorship) for the sake of their own personal consciences. I have proudly watched fellow supporters across the country protest at Trump rallies, fighting against his hateful rhetoric and hurtful plans. But now, many of these same people will unintentionally allow him to run our country. Here is the truth: this 2016 election is not about Hillary vs. Bernie. This is not Hillary vs. third parties. And this certainly is not about giving into the system vs. fighting the system.
This is Hillary Rodham Clinton vs Donald John Trump.
Your vote for a third party candidate or your lack of vote is realistically a vote for Trump. You know that––I know that you do. So why are you risking this for the crusade you are conducting?
Your neighbors are fearful. Your friends are fearful. My family is fearful. I am fearful. This election is one of the messiest, highest-stake elections America has likely ever seen. In his speech on Wednesday, President Obama said it best: “People outside of the United States do not understand what’s going on in this election. They really don't.” And just to be clear, they are not confused by Hillary.
She has been in the political field for decades now. She has experience in varied aspects of government, including her eight years already in the White House as first lady. As Secretary of State alone, she visited 112 different countries and met with countless diplomats. The world knows her––they respect her. She could be another corrupt politician, but Donald Trump is just as corrupt. And he isn’t even a politician! According to NY Attorney Eric Schneiderman, Trump University “is straight up fraud,” as he used it to scam unknowing people out of money. It is easy to find the flaws (some large, some small) in Hillary’s political career because she has years and years to pick apart. Why aren’t you finding the flaws in Trump’s political career? Oh yes, he doesn’t have one.
During his campaign, Donald Trump has rarely shown the level of respect and maturity expected from a politician, someone who will represent our country and interact with the rest of the world as our leader. He has treated his campaign as he has his reality show, throwing insults where he should throw intelligent debate and turning this election into a joke around the world. He has been improper, immature and ignorant over the past year, and there is nothing to suggest that he will be any different in these next four. The difference is that right now, his power is in his words––as president, his power would be in his title, his position and his ability to take real actions.
In November, you are not just voting for the person to sit in that Oval Office. You are directly voting for our next vice president, Tim Kaine or Mike Pence, who, as they say, will be “a heartbeat away from the presidency.” You are indirectly voting for the people that are empowered by this election. Trump empowers xenophobes, homophobes, racists, sexists, ableists and the rest of the bigoted population of America. Whether or not you believe Hillary empowers minority groups, can you honestly tell me that she empowers the same groups that Trump does? Lastly, you are indirectly voting for the four possible Supreme Court Justice positions at stake that will influence our country for decades.
After Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s death in February, talk of who would replace him surfaced across America. However, Republicans urged the Senate to block any of Obama’s attempts to replace Scalia, hoping to leave that job to the president elected in November. Three other Supreme Court Justices will be in their 80s by next year, leaving those positions potentially available during the next president’s term. Those positions are for life. Think of the progress we made in these past few years. I immediately think of the Obergefell v Hodges case last year, when same sex couples were finally granted marriage rights nationwide. Is that really something you want to risk? How can you allow four Donald Trump-approved Supreme Court Justices to have enough power to stop our progress?
Donald Trump may have a history of once being tolerant of the LGBT+ community, while Hillary’s support came later in her career. But this is politics. Whether or not their beliefs are the same or have changed, their campaigns are very specific. Hillary has promised to defend and support the community. Trump has not. While this may just be a big game to him, it would be political suicide for Trump to contradict his promises from this campaign in his presidency. The same goes for Hillary. While you may not trust her motives, Hillary is protecting the LGBT+ community while Trump is not. Look at it this way: the likely worst case scenario for Hillary is that things stay stagnant, unchanging during her presidency. Best case scenario is that she continues our progress, not just in the LGBT+ fight for equality, but in every issue we support. Best case scenario (realistically) for Trump is that things stay stagnant. But worst case scenario for Trump … well, my brain refuses to go there.
While we don’t necessarily have to be afraid of Trump himself, we should not underestimate him and his influence on the American population. We have all seen the comparisons of Trump to Hitler––he has been characterized as a “dangerous demagogue” (in the words of Mike Bloomberg and others). He has retweeted words from Benito Mussolini and praised Vladimir Putin, the same Putin who has endorsed Trump in his election. Donald Trump has also been endorsed by North Korea. These endorsements should be a pretty good indication as to the kind of support he is attracting. And let’s not even get into Trump “joking” for Russia to hack Clinton’s emails.
In addition, Trump may already be damaging relationships with our allies. In December, a petition was started in the United Kingdom to ban Donald Trump from entering the country. It received over 600,000 signatures, six times the amount needed to be discussed by Parliament. While no vote occurred, the idea was discussed, and that alone is something to be concerned about. The United Kingdom, historically one of our most important allies, was concerned about the threat of our presidential nominee, way back in January. Imagine what will happen in November if he gets elected. Imagine the destruction he could do to our foreign relations. Remember, this is a man who does not have any sort of clue how to interact and negotiate in foreign matters. You may not like Hillary, but you can’t deny that she does.
Most of you are aware that Jill Stein (Green Party) and Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party) have no realistic chance of winning this election. To state the obvious, Trump supporters will not be voting third party. Hillary supporters will not be voting third party (because that would make no sense). And, with this knowledge, many Bernie supporters will also not be voting third party. Still, the remaining Bernie supporters do not seem to be united, some supporting Stein and some supporting Johnson. Bernie supporters united were not enough to beat Hillary Clinton in the primaries––how will they as a divided group beat Hillary and Trump in November? The unfortunate truth is they won’t. Third parties up to this point have not had a chance. Do I agree that this is problematic and undemocratic, and do I agree that this needs to change? Absolutely. But with a Donald Trump threat, this election is not the time to experiment.
I also understand that supporting third parties increases popularity and chances in the 2020 election. If the Republican nominee was a normal human being with government experience and less dictator-like tendencies, I may be giving you more support. In fact, I may have even joined you in your revolution! But again, we have Donald Trump, a fear-mongering demagogue threatening to hurt our people and destroy the very foundations we have built in this country.
I don’t need to convince you that Donald Trump is bad news, though. You knew that already. Like I said, you all were protesting his rallies just months ago. I am simply reminding you why letting Donald Trump spend four years in our White House could ruin America. I understand why you don’t want to vote for Hillary Clinton, and I understand why you believe you shouldn’t have to. But I don’t understand why, after everything, you won’t. Your heroes, the people you have been following and praising this entire campaign, are endorsing Hillary Clinton, and instead of trusting their judgment, regardless of their decades in politics, many of you are calling them traitors, claiming that they have betrayed you and your beliefs (Elizabeth Warren, Michelle and Barack Obama, Bernie Sanders himself, just to name a few). It isn’t that they are betraying you––their goal in supporting Hillary is not to spite you and your beliefs. They recognize that this election is between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and our Republican nominee appears to be an actual threat to the safety and integrity of this nation. If they can see this, why can’t you?
Bernie Sanders stood on stage at the DNC and asked his supporters to support Hillary. He also sent an email and a text asking his supporters to be respectful during the convention in order to not damage the reputation of the movement. This isn’t about pride. This isn’t about fighting the system. This isn’t about betrayal and loyalty. This is about recognizing the reality of this election and creating the best possible outcome with what we have. And what do we have? Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Bernie did not ask you to support third parties. He did not ask you to stay away from the polls. And he did not ask you to fight this revolution against Hillary in his name. It does not mean he is not angry nor does it mean that he agrees with the situation. But he knows where his energy, the energy fueled by his frustration, needs to be placed. Hillary is far more likely to promote our progressive ideals than Trump ever will. There are problems in this country larger than Hillary Clinton, problems that Donald Trump will only worsen if he wins in November. Bernie Sanders, your hero, is asking you not to lose sight of that and to channel your own energy into making sure we don’t elect a walking national threat into our Oval Office.
Please watch the debates to come in the months ahead, starting on September 26 (assuming Trump doesn’t refuse to debate with Hillary). Watch with open eyes and ears, and honestly compare Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton. Compare their behavior, their stage presence, and their respect for each other and the American people. Compare their beliefs and their plans for our country. Compare their supporters and what captures people’s attention, what makes them cheer. Compare everything. And then tell me that you would prefer Donald Trump in our Oval Office, with Mike Pence and his supporters there with him. If you would honestly trust Trump to keep you, your friends, your neighbors and the rest of the American people safe, healthy and happy, then by all means, continue with your political rebellion.
But if the idea of Trump replacing Obama, sitting at his desk, interacting with our allies and our enemies, making decisions for our people, and being the orange face of our country, makes you cringe, reconsider. Don’t vote 3rdparty and don’t stay at home. I wish things had worked out differently. I wish it didn’t feel like “picking the lesser of two evils.” I wish we had the liberty to vote for the candidate we love.
This is the reality, though. In just over three months, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will win this election. No number of boos, angry Facebook comments, and protests can stop this. I am not asking you to like Hillary or trust Hillary, but I am asking you to vote for her. I wish this wasn’t about keeping one candidate away from our government, but that is our election. And I know that convincing you all that Hillary isn’t as bad as the media paints her out to be is practically an impossible feat. However, I can still remind you why Trump cannot lead our country. I understand why you don’t want Hillary Clinton in the White House, why you don’t trust her and how she represents some of the evils you fight against. I do not blame you. But I ask you to please be careful, because I know that you will regret letting a demagogue take charge of our country.
Do you remember when we were all saying, “Don’t worry. Donald Trump will never actually get the nomination.” Well, here we are. What are you willing to sacrifice for America?
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