Sanders supporters duped by Wasserman Shultz and the DNC

To those who supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary:

The Democratic party blocked out your voice. You never had a chance from the start. DNC leaders conspired against your candidate throughout the primary season and are now silent in response to the email leak.

In contrast, millions of registered Republicans groaned as Donald Trump won primary after primary. Party Chairman Reince Priebus, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other party leaders vocalized deep opposition to Trump’s platform for most of the primary season. However, Trump earned the most votes, and despite strong opposition from party leadership, was still given the nomination without conflict in what was arguably the most diverse and inclusive Republican convention in history.

Today, your convention begins to rally support behind a corrupt career politician who was backed by corrupt party leadership. But, now you know that all of the bias and wrongdoing on behalf of the DNC as claimed by Sanders’ campaign was true. Democratic Party leadership chose their presidential nominee long before campaign season began and stacked the deck in her favor through their rigged system of superdelegates.

Are you truly motivated to get behind this extremely flawed candidate and corrupt party machine after learning that they intentionally ousted your candidate? How do you feel that these emails show Democratic Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz and her top party cohorts’ displeasure with your candidate’s presence in the race? And, do you feel like democracy truly played any part in the Democratic primary?

The crucial difference is that democracy still exists in the Republican Party, and each individual’s voice truly matters. Very few in establishment of the Republican Party wanted Trump as their nominee, but alas, by popular demand, he’s at the top of their ticket. The DNC calls Trump a “threat to democracy,” but Trump doesn’t exist, or even stand a fighting chance in the political arena, without democracy. Democracy is what gave his movement life and gave his supporters a voice this political season.

Meanwhile, corruption and bias have run amok and your party is collapsing on itself much like they said would happen to Republicans. Wasserman Shultz isn’t presiding over any aspect of this convention and will resign after her colleagues stump for their hand-picked candidate over the next four days.

Don’t let party designation bind you to a candidate who had her every need catered to by the same party establishment that set up numerous roadblocks in front of your candidate.

You have two options: put halfhearted support behind a candidate who epitomizes every aspect of government that you claim to despise, or vote for someone who has completely overturned the political establishment and forced an entire party platform to mirror the ideologies held by the supporters of its nominee.

Trump may not be the perfect candidate, or even your first choice, and I can promise you he’s neither for me. But, at least consider joining a growing and changing party where your voice and vote actually make a difference.

Jacob Posik

About Jacob Posik

Jacob Posik, of Turner, is the editor of The Maine Wire, an online news and opinion service offered by the Maine Heritage Policy Center. His blog covers local and national political topics.