Those of us who were passionate about electing Bernie as our next President threw our hearts and souls into the race. When he finally conceded the nomination to Hillary Clinton, many of us went through a period of disenchantment with the system. But now is not the time to disengage from the election process and be bad losers - all that will do is ensure we lose badly...
Let's be practical, and show what will happen if those of us who are not in love with Hillary just sit out the election in a sulk or, worse still, vote for Trump in protest.
I campaigned with Bernie, but I can't be stuck in the past. So let me give you a taste of the future if Hillary doesn't get elected -- specifically a future in which the Supreme Court is a Trump Court. Supreme Court Justices Ginsberg and Kennedy are both over 80, and Breyer is close behind. With the death of Antonin Scalia, that makes four likely vacancies on the Supreme Court during the next Presidential term. Now, imagine those vacancies filled by President Trump. And imagine them being filled by Justices who are, say, in their fifties. That means the Supreme Court will potentially have a conservative majority for the next 30 or 40 years.
And in case you're still not getting it, imagine the kind of decisions Trump court would hand down on immigration reform, climate change, gay rights, women's rights, gun control, animal rights and a whole slew of other important social issues crucial to the well-being of the American people and, potentially, the world.
When I realized that Hillary was going to be our nominee, I wasn't excited. However, now I want to speak to those of you who aren't crazy about the options for this election. I feel your disappointment and frustration. But we need to be practical. I'm not voting for the candidate, I'm voting for the future. I'm voting for what's at stake and, believe me, the stakes are high. I'm voting for substance and reform, and for a better world for our children and grandchildren. Because, it's all in the hands of the next Supreme Court.
It's time to scale down our emotional attachment to Bernie, and ramp up our pragmatic support for Hillary. Voting Democrat is the important thing now, not whether we're in love with our candidate.
This election is all about principles, and principles must be bigger than any individual. We don't have the luxury of a protest vote this election, nor can we risk staying home. We Bernie supporters did our best, we tried, but now it's time to remember the importance of the Supreme Court and the long term effects of 4 Trump appointees.
Make sure you don't wake up on the morning of November 9th with buyer's remorse -- exercise your right to influence the next 40 years of United States legislation.