This year’s presidential campaign may end up being one of the strangest, but most pivotal, in recent history. The stakes are high and the outcome could shape domestic and foreign policy for generations. 
Senator Bernie Sanders has gone from an obscure Senator from Vermont to a national candidate by riding a wave of frustration and economic angst among 18-35 year olds. His rally cries for free college education, universal healthcare, and breaking up big banks have drawn huge crowds and victories in several primaries. A self-proclaimed democratic socialist, Sanders appeals to the better angels of our nature, calling for a humane and just approach to social and economic change he calls a revolution.
Sanders’ revolution is reminiscent of another long-time politician that ran for President to buck the system, and enjoyed the same enthusiastic support among college-aged voters: Ron Paul. Congressman Paul, however, was a self-proclaimed Libertarian running as a Republican, much like the Sanders was an Independent until his run for the Democratic nomination. Both worked for years in Congress as loners with very few legislative accomplishments or history of building consensus to impact policy changes. Like Ron Paul, Sanders was against military involvement in the Middle East and focused more on breaking up the political and economic systems they saw as broken or corrupt, and both drew support from young voters that like anti-establishment candidates.
But in the end, both candidates suffer from the same deficiencies in leadership and experience, and most importantly, a path to victory in their campaigns. At this point in the primary process, Sanders is mathematically out of the delegate race, yet he continues to claim the nomination process is fixed for Clinton because of so-called Super Delegates. Even without those super delegates committed to Clinton, her lead in pledged delegates won through her victories in primaries leaves her with an insurmountable lead for the nomination. It is virtually impossible for her to fail in gaining the required delegates on June 7 to clinch the nomination.
Even ignoring the near inevitability of Clinton’s lead for the nomination, we must also look at Sander’s position on one of the most important issues facing our community. Sanders voted against the 2007 comprehensive immigration reform package that would have created a path to citizenship for millions of Latinos and other undocumented residents. His position then, and sometimes in this campaign, is nuisance, at best. Sanders has argued that immigration reform hurts American workers by lowers wages and benefits through either worker visa programs or a pathway to citizenship.
Of course, those arguments have been debunked by numerous economic studies that prove immigration reform and the resulting legalization of undocumented workers actually benefits the economy through increases spending, increased tax revenues, and increased productivity.
Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has pledged to make immigration reform a priority in her first 100 days in office if she were to become President. Her position on such an important issue is just one of several progressive positions Senator Clinton has outlined that make her campaign much more reflective of the concerns of the Latino community: better access to healthcare; better access to higher education and career training; tax reform to help working families; sensible gun control to make our streets safer; and a true commitment to minority communities, including ethic and religious minorities, women, and gays.
Of the other extreme of the spectrum is Donald Trump, the reality star businessman turned politician that has turned insults and name-calling into a new political art form. Trump launched his campaign last year by claiming Mexicans coming to the United States are “bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists”. Last Friday during his rally here in San Diego, he criticized the federal judge handling the class action lawsuit against Trump University as being a “Donald Trump hater” and “Mexican”, even though the judge was born in Indiana of Mexican immigrant parents, like that’s automatically a disqualification to be an honest judge. The race baiting will surely get worse as this campaign rolls toward November.
In contrast, this Friday, Hillary Clinton delivered a strong speech here in San Diego outlining the dangerous, uninformed, and reckless statements Trump has made regarding world affairs. Clinton pointed out Trump’s comments on nuclear weapons, fighting Isis, dealing with Vladimir Putin, and ending trade with China and Mexico. Clinton contrasted those comments with her experience as Secretary of State and as a U.S. Senator.
This election will help define our next generation. The important issues at hand involve complex economic, social, and national security decisions that the next President will have to make. We are far past the time to make political statements or send a message to party leaders. A vote for Bernie Sanders, at this point, is a wasted vote.
Hillary Clinton deserves our support. She deserves to win California and carry that momentum into the General Election. She should be as strong as possible to take on the campaign of hate, division, and dangerous isolationism that Trump is running.
This is now beyond partisan politics. It is about who we want to be. It is about the kind of country we want to live in and leave behind for our children. It is about why our families came to this country in the first place.
Hillary Clinton for President.