This year's election cycle has produced a level of engagement and enthusiasm during the primary season which has been unprecedented and groundbreaking. Millions of Americans are participating in the political process for the very first time, and much of this new energy comes from millennials and other fresh faces who previously felt apathetic towards the political process. Thanks to a previously unknown independent democratic socialist from Vermont named Bernie Sanders, a revolution is now underway to radically transform our society into one that cares for and respects the needs of all its members, not just the privileged few.
Bernie's message of love, truth, compassion, and togetherness has resounded in a political climate often dominated by the voices of hatred, deception, selfishness, and greed. History has shown that the power of the people can overcome even the darkest of times, and we are indeed in dark times. In a time when our political process is bought and paid for by special interests, lobbyists, and Super PACs, Bernie made a conscious decision to build a grassroots movement based on support from everyday, hard-working Americans with a burning desire to see a brighter future for all the citizens of this great nation. This campaign has harnessed the power of the people, and is now taking on the most powerful special interests in the world to build a fair, just, and equitable society. Though Bernie has received less votes than Secretary Clinton, his campaign has received more individual, small donations than any other campaign in history, and that raw power in itself should not be underestimated or ignored.
However, after his most recent string of overwhelming losses to Secretary Clinton, it appears the viability of his candidacy may be coming to an end. Barring an indictment of Secretary Clinton or miraculous clean sweeps in every contest to come by Bernie, it appears Hillary will be the Democratic Party's nominee after the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia later this year.
I do not presume that I have the right to tell any person how to vote, but I ask those Bernie supporters pondering writing him in, staying home, voting Green, or worst of all, voting Republican, to understand the ramifications of these decisions. We have made great progress under President Obama's leadership despite overwhelming Republican opposition, particularly with respect to the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Millions of Americans who were previously uninsured now have health insurance, but just because it is that way right now does not mean it will remain so. Writing Bernie in, staying home, or voting Green will split the Democratic vote and hand the White House over to a sociopathic, narcissistic, bigot who will undoubtedly wreak havoc on both our nation and the international community. Those who are now dependent on the Affordable Care Act, including myself, will lose our health insurance and be pushed back into a private market which discriminates against those with pre-existing conditions, women, and the elderly. Bernie was an instrumental player in engineering the Affordable Care Act, and its future will be in jeopardy if a Republican makes it to the White House.
With Bernie unlikely to be the Democratic nominee, we, his supporters, need to take a step back for a moment and remember the issues raised by Bernie in this campaign. He has championed a $15 minimum wage, equal pay for women, overturning Citizens United, single-payer universal healthcare, criminal justice reform, combating climate change, and much more. Though he and Secretary Clinton have different visions for how to tackle these issues, it's quite clear that the similarities between the two greatly outnumber the differences. More critically, Bernie's message and that of the Republican Party could not be more diametrically opposed.
Many Bernie supporters are rightfully angry at the primary process, particularly the undue influence so-called "superdelegates" exert on the process. But our frustrations go much deeper than our distaste for "superdelegates". We are sick and tired of money in politics and the way in which the Democratic Party has kowtowed to big business and special interests for large campaign contributions post-Citizens United. We fear for the future of our democracy when we see such a small minority of our wealthiest citizens controlling virtually the entire political process. Going forward, we must advocate for radical changes in the primary process, including the elimination of superdelegates from the process, opening primary elections up to Independents, elimination of caucuses, curbing the influence of big money, and much more. We, the people, are undergoing an awakening that cannot be stopped and will not be put down.
So, we Bernie supporters need to think carefully about the decisions we make moving forward. The outcome of this primary that scares me more than anything is the prospect that Bernie's supporters will simply lose heart, stay home, and become even more apathetic towards the political process than they were before. We've finally seen intense involvement on the part of young people in a primary season and we cannot simply cease our involvement because our preferred candidate will likely not secure the nomination. On the contrary, we must keep this movement alive, well, and growing in order to put progressive pressure on the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton moving forward. Bernie has emphasized the importance of electing Democrats at every level of government in order to fulfill the goals of the revolution, and we must now dedicate much of our efforts at the state and local levels.
Most importantly, the Sanders campaign has demonstrated the immense power the people have when we stand together and demand that our voices be heard. We, the people, will no longer be silenced by special interests. We, the people, will no longer allow our elected officials to remain unaccountable to the will of their constituents. But most importantly, we, the people, are taking our country back from the brink of destruction. Now, take to the streets. Take to the airwaves. Take to social media. Fight for your rights. Day and night, keep your mind focused on the task at hand. There is nothing we can't do together.