Bernie is out. The withdrawal of Sen. Bernie Sanders from the presidential race is a crushing disappointment for progressives like me, who, after a long primary process, are wondering what their next move is.
Do we as progressives suck it up and vote for former Vice President Joe Biden? Or do we abstain from voting or vote third party as a way to send a message to the Democratic National Committee that we are not getting our voices heard?
To many who don't consider themselves progressive — say, moderate Democrats or party line voters — it might seem like a no-brainer:
"Vote Joe."
"Lesser of two evils."
"We have to unify to defeat President Donald Trump."
But for many progressives and other independents on the left, whom we decide to vote for in November is going to be an incredibly hard decision. Voting for Trump is not a valid option. We don't agree with Trump on policy or rhetoric at all. But many lefties also don't agree with Joe Biden.
Biden's record is abysmal for progressives, from the notorious 1994 Crime Bill he helped to write, to his stance against Medicare for All, going so far as to say that if he were president and Medicare for All passed through Congress and made it to his desk he would veto it.