By Cory Paul Harrison, Assistant Director of Forensics University of Alabama

Sen. Bernie Sanders

I would hardly consider myself a genius of political forecasts; I'll leave that to Nate Silver. I am comfortable, however, making several productions for the 2016 Presidential election.

Bernie Sanders, though he should be taken very seriously, will not be elected President of the United States of America. Furthermore, a Democrat will not win our state's electoral votes. Regardless of how gloomy this may seem for liberals living in the conservative stronghold that is Alabama, it should not dissuade you from voting for a Democrat next year. Specifically, it should not dissuade you from voting for Bernie Sanders over perennial favorite Hillary Clinton. Let me explain.

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont's candidacy represents an opportunity for liberal Alabama voters which has not presented itself in a Presidential election for a long time: to vote on policy rather than the lesser of several evils.

While conservatives in the state are quick to list President Obama's perceived flaws, he has provided liberal voters with their own sets of disappointments over his two terms as Commander in Chief. Failure to reform unjust tax laws, continuing big bank cronyism, widespread unlawful surveillance, blockading Inspectors General, secret drone wars, torture, and other frustrations have kept our decidedly centrist President's time in office from the glowing success his initial campaign felt like it promised. This is not to say that President Obama's time in office has been a failure, far from it.

Senator Bernie Sanders's candidacy, however, offers an opportunity to hold the Democratic Party accountable to its failings without retreating to the base-pandering mess that is the current stable of Republican candidates.

While Hillary Clinton currently represents the Democrats' best chance of winning the 2016 election, she also represents an all but promised continuation of many of President Obama's policies. For mainstream Democratic voters looking to keep the Republicans out of office, this is enough.

For actual progressive liberals, though, Clinton's billionaire, favor-hungry donors and constant stream of minor controversies have already marred her candidacy, leaving potential supporters exhausted from frustrating missteps in the name of "politics."

This is why I will support Bernie Sanders. He has been championing forms of nationalized health care since the 80's. His entire political career has been dedicated to dismantling the oligarchic wealth inequalities which disenfranchise voters and obstruct liberty. He has been ahead of the curve on virtually every social issue the Democrats have begrudgingly patronized, including marriage equality and raising the minimum wage. He has persistently demonstrated his commitment to the middle class, draws massive support from labor unions, and voted against invading Iraq. Basically, Bernie represents the real liberal's liberal candidate.

I should clarify why, then, other Alabamians should support Bernie Sanders despite already declaring his Presidency unlikely. Senator Sanders has the unique ability to push Hillary Clinton into very serious conversations about liberal issues both she, and President Obama, have either remained silent on for fear of conservative backlash or have just outright ignored.

Essentially, Bernie can make Hillary act like an actual liberal by nudging her campaign to the left in order to attract the left-leaning and young voters who have already, and very vocally, begun flocking to Sanders's campaign. Hillary will have to counteract by convincing those supporters that she can provide equivalent solvency for those issues.

By supporting Bernie Sanders, liberal Alabama voters can help force Hillary to address a litany of domestic, financial, and social issues she would otherwise avoid and, because these issues center around retooling corrupt government policies and ensuring broader social justice, this is a good thing.

For Alabama liberals, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the issues his candidacy will force into mainstream political debates, represents the best choice for 2016 this side of an Elizabeth Warren candidacy. I plan to support him, and I hope you do as well.