It’s over. Hillary won. Bernie lost. Magical thinking will not change the math.

Bernie Sanders may have been the superior choice for president; however, the math shows that Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee.

The truth is Bernie is not a savior, and Hillary is not a devil. In fact, they are actually much more alike than they are different. Bernie supporters must avoid the right-wing trap of demonizing Hillary; instead, they must realize that Hillary and Bernie are actually both trying to move the country forward.

For the rational progressive secular humanist, voting for a third party candidate, or simply writing in Bernie’s name, is not a reasonable option. The stakes are too high to waste a vote on a meaningless protest. A vote for Jill Stein or some other third party candidate might make one feel good, but it would be a pragmatic and strategic mistake that ultimately favors the fascist cause of Donald Trump.

The fact is, millions more Americans voted for Hillary than Bernie. Hillary has many more delegates than Bernie. Hillary will be the nominee. That is how democracy works. To argue against these basic facts is simply silly. However, a small minority of Bernie supporters refuse to accept this simple truth.

Blaming the media for Bernie’s loss, or engaging in other conspiracy theories, is simply self-deception, and a path to self-destruction.

The good news: The vast majority of Bernie supporters are not immature children, and they will support Hillary in the general election. However, in every large group there is an irrational, lunatic fringe. The “Bernie or Bust” crowd is a small but vocal minority that seems determined to act against their own self-interest. Indeed, much of the energy behind the #BernieOrBust movement seems not to be so much pro-Bernie, as it is anti-Hillary, and one must wonder how many of those folks aren’t simply “Hillary haters” trying to foment dissent within the Democratic party.

At this point in time one thing is clear: the Democratic convention is a mere formality, Hillary is the de facto nominee. To claim otherwise is to entertain delusion.

Magical thinking won’t help Bernie win the nomination. It’s over. Hillary won. The most important thing now is to defeat Trump in 2016.

Bottom line: I’m with her.