Bernie Sanders tells his supporters why they really, really need to vote for Hillary Clinton

Bernie Sanders wants his supporters to vote for Hillary Clinton.

(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

In an op-ed published in the Los Angeles Times on Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) told his supporters to stop being "despondent" and "inactive" and instead get to work defeating Donald Trump. Sanders said that while he completely understands their disappointment over his loss in the Democratic primary to Hillary Clinton, at a certain point "going forward and continuing the struggle is what matters." That, he said, is why he is "vigorously supporting" Clinton — and they should too:

Donald Trump would be a disaster and an embarrassment for our country if he were elected president. His campaign is not based on anything of substance — improving the economy, our education system, healthcare, or the environment. It is based on bigotry. He is attempting to win this election by fomenting hatred against Mexicans and Muslims. He has crudely insulted women. And as a leader of the "birther movement," he tried to undermine the legitimacy of our first African American president. That is not just my point of view. That's the perspective of a number of conservative Republicans.In these difficult times, we need a president who will bring our nation together, not someone who will divide us by race or religion, not someone who lacks an understanding of what our Constitution is about. [Los Angeles Times]

And just because he's conceding to Clinton doesn't mean the "political revolution" is over, Sanders insisted. "That revolution continues as Hillary Clinton seeks the White House. It will continue after the election. It will continue until we create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent."

Read Sanders' full comparison of Clinton versus Trump on the issues at the Los Angeles Times.