The election of Donald Trump as President was a major blow to the Progressive movement in the United States, and especially disheartening given the optimism so recently inspired by Bernie Sanders' ultimately unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination.

This is no time to lick our wounds, however. A winning bid for the presidency takes at least two years in the current era, and we need to have in place a plausible, progressive President-in-Waiting by early 2019 at the very latest, and preferably earlier. Unfortunately, by 2020 Bernie Sanders will probably be too old to realistically take on the presidency.

With this in mind, there can be few better options than the congressman, prominent Sanders supporter, and co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Keith Ellison. A Minnesotan, Ellison can fight against Trump's gains in the Upper Midwest, and fight to protect working Americans from the ravages of Republican nihilism. Ellison should be actively encouraged to run for the presidency, and given the support of the Democratic Party.

Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard would be a good choice as a running mate, or indeed as an alternate option for the top of the ticket.