It seems clearer than ever now that Hillary Clinton has officially conceded the hard-fought race for the presidency that Clinton lost for a host of reasons – not least of which because she was never the best Democratic candidate we were given.

Hillary Clinton, centrist, war-mongering, mired in scandal, went after a worthy opponent – Senator Bernie Sanders. With massive appeal and popular support all over the nation, the DNC corroborated to keep Sanders far from the White House.

And they did.

We were given the single worst candidate to battle Donald Trump, and that candidate continued to besmirch her reputation with repeated scandals and skeletons in the closet throughout.

While we can’t guess what might have happened if Trump had gone head-to-head with Bernie, but we know that he would not have stood for the bullshit and the lies. He would have fought with honestly and earnest nature. He would have been attacked by anti-semitism and anti-socialism, but he would have fought.

And we would have suppported him with a vigor and love that few ever felt for Secretary Clinton. How many of us would have been out pounding the pavement had it been Bernie instead? How many of us would have devoted our lives to ensuring his election?

Yes, you will hear many people in the coming weeks reflecting, “Don’t blame me, I voted Bernie,” and to some degree, they’re not wrong.

We were given a golden child candidate with all the hope and real change in the world. Bernie was our last chance, and now we have lost everything. The Democratic party failed, and with it, goes the nation.

Sydney Robinson is a political writer for the Ring of Fire Network. She has also appeared in political news videos for Ring of Fire. Sydney has a degree in English Literature from the University of West Florida, and has an active interest in politics, social justice, and environmental issues. She would love to hear from you on Twitter @SydneyMkay or via email at srobinson@ringoffireradio.com