Hillary Rodham Clinton is now the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party now that both Ted Cruz and John Kasich ended their campaigns. The general election campaign has begun.
While Bernie Sanders continues to say he will run until the end of the primary season, and that is his right, he has no chance of being the nominee. It is something Hillary Clinton understands as she was in a similar position in 2008. Yet Democrats can't allow Donald Trump to begin his general election campaign attacking Hillary without a strong rebuttal and a unified Party. Hillary is in a difficult situation not wanting to offend Senator Sanders or his supporters by focusing totally on the general election.
So Senator Warren, it was great to hear your most recent comments about Trump. Your ability to hit the mark with your words is why you have a legion of supporters, including me, and we enjoy it when you speak passionately about what you believe. This week you captured what so many of us think about Trump when you said "He built his campaign on racism, sexism and xenophobia. He incites supporters to violence, praises Putin, and is 'Cool with being called an authoritarian' and then you added in a tweet There's more enthusiasm for @realDonaldTrump among leaders of the KKK than leaders of the political party he now controls."
Senator Warren, many of us believe we understand why you haven't endorsed Hillary yet. But the time is fast approaching when it will be crucial for you to do so. You know Senator Sanders no longer has a pathway to the nomination and his delusions that superdelegates will suddenly switch from Hillary to him are just that, delusional. Since you talk to so many of them every day you know how committed they are to Hillary. A few weeks ago on Stephen Colbert's show you said "if Hillary is the nominee Sanders supporters should vote for her". I am pleading with you to recognize the time to make the endorsement is here and to begin urging Sanders's supporters to do just that.
Senator, many of your supporters are young and passionate, many are the same people who are now supporting Bernie Sanders; some only because you decided not to enter the primary. You have the ability to excite them and talk to them about how important it will be to unite behind Hillary if we are to stop Donald Trump and have any chance to move a progressive agenda forward.
I don't have to tell you what it would mean to have Hillary be able to nominate a Supreme Court Justice with a Democratic Senate whose leadership includes you. You have the ability to convince your supporters that as a Senator with your incredible megaphone you will hold Hillary accountable for her progressive promises. And you know you can do that because Hillary worked a lifetime committed to a progressive agenda. Together you and she will be able to make history with your legislation signed into law by President Clinton.
We have the chance to elect possibly the most brilliant and accomplished person to run for President and add to that she will be our first woman President. The 'woman's card' Donald Trump tries to denigrate Hillary with is simply a call by her and others for fairness which both you and Hillary have fought for all of your careers.
This campaign will be nasty, to say the least. Donald Trump is a sexist bully who thinks he can intimidate anyone in his path. Having followed Hillary's career since first meeting her in 1990, I know she can't be intimidated. Clearly you can't be either. Traveling the country speaking to voters from college campuses to senior citizen centers, speaking your truth with passion, will make a difference for Democrats up and down the ticket.
Your endorsement of Hillary will mean so much to those of us who have been supporting her all along but it will mean just as much and maybe more to those who have supported Senator Sanders. They know you share his passion for holding accountable the big banks and bankers; your fight for the middle class; and your successful fight for effective consumer protection. Above all they trust you.
So Senator, please take a look at the reality of the delegate count; the fact that Hillary has nearly 3.2 million more votes; that she won your home state of Massachusetts; and endorse her sooner than later. Your endorsement will make a real difference in bringing our Party together and giving us the chance to defeat Donald Trump.
Defeating Trump resoundingly will make a statement to the world that Americans are better than the things he stands for. We are not a nation that will vote for the candidate or the Party basing their campaign on homophobia, racism, sexism and xenophobia. We are better than that!