New York state decided to cancel their Democratic primary on Monday, April 27, over public health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders was pulled from the ballot. Though Sanders suspended his campaign in early April, many voters were still prepared to cast their vote for him during their states’ primary elections. Joe Biden’s campaign had garnered very little support up until Super Tuesday, where he shocked the nation with a near sweeping win. Sanders’ suspension and Biden’s unexpected rise as a frontrunning candidate was an early signal of progressive voters’ lack of faith in the Democratic party. New York’s decision to pull Bernie from the ballot may have sealed the party’s fate. 

Democratic Commissioner Douglas Kellner claimed that removing Sanders from the ballot would save time from what would ultimately be a “beauty contest” between Biden and Sanders to garner support from progressives. But to many, removing Sanders from the ballot is not the step toward “unifying” the Democratic party that the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seems to think it is. Removing the only progressive voice from the ballot essentially silences his supporters – this is divisive. Shutting out young and progressive voters who have already been suggesting a #DemExit could very well be the beginning of the end for the Democratic party. 

Sanders was a source of hope for a lot of Americans during this uncertain time. With the government’s poor response to the coronavirus pandemic, a general lack of resources and 30 million Americans filing for unemployment within the last couple of months, the necessity of universal healthcare should not even be a question at this point. A recent poll conducted by Morning Consult found that 41% of Americans are more likely to support universal healthcare proposalsbecause of the current crisis. Healthcare should not be an unaffordable luxury or only obtainable through unstable employer-provided insurance, especially in the midst of a pandemic that has further revealed the ugliest realities of American society. Thousands of people should not have to die because their country makes a basic resource utterly inaccessible. 

As the 2020 general election grows closer, Americans are once again faced with voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Back in 2016, this situation handed us a Trump presidency. The fact that we will not likely pass universal healthcare or Green New Deal legislation in a Biden or Trump presidency creates a grave reality for many Americans. Both Trump and Biden have been accused of sexual assault with multiple corroborators. Many progressives cannot comfortably and willingly elect a sexual predator into office again. Giving people no options leaves us to face a bleak future.

Moderates feel that the Democratic party’s primary goal should be to beat Trump, but many think the same tired strategy will result in an outcome mirroring the 2016 election. Progressive Democrats are not going to excitedly show up for either of these candidates. Biden running on a platform of anti-Trump and selecting a woman VP is hardly the bare minimum. This should not be enough for American voters. Progressives want someone who will actually show up for the nation and make meaningful change,  and – you know – someone who isn’t a sexual predator.

Moderates must face reality and acknowledge Biden’s sexual misconduct is disqualifying. If allegations of a similar nature were brought against Bernie Sanders, it’d be all over mainstream news platforms and Sanders would be pressured to drop out of the race immediately. The DNC wants to protect Biden so badly, and it’s hard to fathom why. The “Me Too” movement calls us to believe women who have been cast aside. The DNC will protect and enable a sexual predator because it is politically convenient.  

Removing Sanders from the ballot was a quick and easy way for the DNC to tell progressives to let go of any glimmering hopes of lasting change. This election has barely come into full force, and for many progressive voters, it has already opened their eyes to how flawed the system truly is. Deliberately silencing progressive voices during a pivotal time is asking for weak voter turnout. If the DNC hasn’t sealed their own fate already, the GOP will certainly help them out. 

Micaela Erickson is a sophomore journalism major with a minor in civic engagement.