Contemplating the chances of underdog Bernie Sanders winning the presidential election against opponents who are lavishly funded by wealthy donors and Super-PACs, millions of Americans over the weekend wondered to themselves how their one vote for the Vermont Senator could possibly ever make a difference.
Amid a crowd in Denver, Colorado, a lone individual stands, pondering the meaningless of her support for Bernie Sanders.
"While I love Bernie Sanders and his willingness to fight for the rights of the little guy, I don't see how my one, single vote could help him in any way win against those other candidates who are being heavily funded by billionaires and major corporations" reflected Frank Johnson of Canton, Ohio, precisely mirroring the thoughts of millions of people in cities and towns across the country.
In a similar vein, Sarah Nelson of Dayton, Ohio, thought to herself as she hauled her household recycling bin to the curb, "I'd like to vote for Bernie since I really agree with him on the issues, but there just aren't that many people who think like I do". Nelson continued with her train of thought, pondering "How can one person make any real difference?", a reflection she shared with millions of other Americans.
Around the same time, pausing after tossing a piece of garbage into a trash can in a public park in Waterloo, Iowa, Mary Fitzgerald contemplated the issue of Sanders' socialist label.
"Knowing that to Bernie 'socialism' simply means giving everyone a fair chance instead of rigging the economy in favor of the super rich and Wall Street, I support his ideas. But hardly anyone else will be able to get past the 'scary' socialist label" thought Mary, echoing views of Sanders' politics held by countless citizens from coast to coast.
By evening time, every single one of what added up to millions of citizens silently pondered to themselves how sad it was their single vote would never matter enough to alter Sanders' unelectable status.
A single person squeezes into a Bernie Sanders rally in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while reflecting on his political powerlessness
While brushing their teeth, vast swathes of the population resigned themselves to the fact that their isolated support would never be enough to tip the scales in favor of Sanders and his fight for economic justice
Before going to bed in her Hillsboro, Oregon apartment, Zoe Taylor, and innumerable other individuals pined, "I really wish I could vote for Bernie. But I just can't, given what I know about American voters - unlike me, they just won't be able to get past the word socialism and hear his message of fairness, due to the avalanche of money his opponents will mobilize against him. That's only being realistic".
In the meantime, according to the most recent reports, Bernie Sanders continued with his efforts to defend what some observers are calling "democracy".
(h/t to the Onion for the inspiration, and photo credits to MPR and Bill McKibben)