I REMAIN IN THE RACE

In order to defeat Trump, we need to provide a far more powerful alternative to what he's offering

Jasmin Marsters

I am deeply grateful that as of right now, over 200,000 people have voted for me for President. Given the efforts to block my candidacy that have been ongoing for the last year, I take those votes very seriously.

I will continue to honor the trust that those votes signify. They are a cry for fundamental change in America. Many people believe, as I do, that nothing less than a transformative vision will stave off potential disasters that stand before us. And yes, one of those disasters would be a second Trump Presidency.

While some argue that I should drop out of the race, graciously support President Biden and join the effort to joyfully defeat Trump in November, I know too much and have seen too much to agree to such a move. The President is not out campaigning. He is not truly out among the American people. He does not seem to register what people are actually going through. His handlers if anything are keeping real people away from him. And unspoken by most but seen by everyone, he does not display the physical or mental vitality necessary to take on Donald Trump.

That is why I will remain in the race, looking forward to picking up even more votes in the states that have not yet weighed in.

Our staying in the race is an effort to increase the possibility that I will have a voice at the Democratic convention. In order to win in November, we must acknowledge that 39 per cent of Americans are skipping meals in order to pay their rent - and do something about it! We must acknowledge how difficult it is for millions of people to live on just one job, pay their medical bills, or even afford their rent - and do something about it! We must not simply brag about what we’ve accomplished already, when for the majority of Americans their lives are lived on the edge of disintegration and despair.

The system is in too many ways self-satisfied, exclusive, and closed in upon itself; and we must change that. We must be radical truth-tellers at a time when there is a rush to deny such truths. At a time of decline and corruption, we must be willing to say so. At a time of intolerable human suffering, we must be willing to say so. At a time when faith in the possible and love for each other are our greatest powers, we must be willing to use those powers to the best of our ability for a greater good.

We need to save our democracy from Donald Trump, that is true. And in order to do that, we need to stand for a more powerful alternative to what he’s offering. I remain in the race in order to try.