It’s been over three decades since the American people had a chance to vote for a true, principled conservative in a general election -- 32 years to be exact. Since then, we were forced to choose between Bush and Dukakis in 1988, Bush and Clinton in 1992, Dole and Clinton in 1996, Bush and Gore in 2000, Bush and Kerry in 2004, McCain and Obama in 2008, and Romney and Obama in 2012. For those who consider themselves true, small government constitutionalists, not a single one of these candidates was ideal. Election after election came down to a choice between a big government Republican and a big government leftist.

This is upsetting for multiple reasons. The first, and perhaps the most obvious, is because we haven’t gotten a chance to implement true conservative reform since the Reagan Era. Instead, we have unfortunately continued down this path of soft tyranny and anti-constitutional government, consequently resulting in the gradual decline of our Republic. But in the absence of a true conservative nominee for president of the United States, one thing that’s often overlooked is the impact it’s having on the millennial generation.

About two years ago, I was listening to Mark Levin on the radio. He was doing a segment about Ronald Reagan, and going into great detail about the energy and enthusiasm surrounding The Gipper’s campaign in 1980 and in 1984. Americans everywhere were inspired by Reagan’s bold conservatism, despite the fact that he was relentlessly attacked by both the Democrats and the GOP establishment. As we know, this energy translated into two landslide victories.

The excitement for our 40th president was multi-generational -- that is, both older Americans and younger Americans experienced and embraced the Reagan Revolution. Reagan was able to form a strong bond with millennials, often visiting high schools and colleges during his campaigns to spread the message of conservatism. According to a poll conducted in 1984, Reagan had an approval rating of 67 percent among voters under the age of 25. In 1986, a second poll revealed that Reagan’s support had increased to 79 percent for the same age group. Young people not only supported conservatism; they were energized by it.

Fast forward to 2016. With the presence of Sen. Ted Cruz in the GOP field of candidates, young people have a real chance to nominate a true, principled conservative. Further, we have a chance to reignite that unmatched energy our mothers and fathers felt during the Reagan Revolution. We have a chance to unleash a wave of inspiration and get behind a candidate who knows how to properly articulate the true conservative message. As it currently stands, there is only one man who can accomplish the above, and his name is not Donald Trump or John Kasich.

Let’s not miss our chance, fellow millennials. It’s time to get behind Ted Cruz.