Now that the primary season is over, let’s join forces to win the election this fall. We’ve all been terrified griping concerned about the tenor of the contest, the occasional callowness of the media, the seeming triviality of the debate questions, among other things. It’s ironic that, then, that the best, most uplifting and honorable phase is now over; we’re about to see politics at its worst. This primary has been heated and protracted, sure, but it has invigorated the electorate and stimulated widespread debate. As Pete Seeger once said, "it’s the differences of opinion that make horse races."
But now the general election begins. The tough fight is upon us. Given how high the stakes are, it will likely get very ugly indeed. So, here are four suggestions for ways to reconnect now that may help pull us all back together for victory in the fall.
Victory strategies below the fold:
1. Talk to someone who voted the other way. Most people here are Obama fans (as am I) but there are Clinton supporters out there too. Heartfelt thanks, by the way, to Angry Mouse for setting the tone with her gracious diary yesterday. But I mean talk, as in in person, with someone who opposed your candidate. Host a unity event: a potluck dinner, a sidewalk/garage sale fundraiser, a lawn party. Let’s talk. Coalition politics means lots of healthy debate.
2. Define the issues. End the War and Support Those Who Have Been Bearing Its Burdens. Enact Single-Payer, National Health Care. Launch a Visionary Green Jobs Agenda. Reintroduce Government Regulation of Banking and Finance. These are my priorities; yours may be different. But the harder we at the grassroots work to propose serious, meaningful policy initiatives--and the more vocal we are about demanding them--the easier it will be for our political leaders to carry our banner.
3. Don’t champion to a safe, incremental route to policy change. Politicians, and I do mean all of them, are constrained by the popular mood. If we hide behind political leaders and wait for them to act, we'll inevitably be disappointed when they seem overly cautious. Instead, let's put the people's agenda into the spotlight. If we’ve learned anything from the our current puppet president, it’s the negotiator’s trick of demanding more than you can expect to gain so that when you back down it looks like compromise.
4. Pinch yourselves. This is an awesome day. For all the rancor of the past few months, eighteen months ago nobody would have believed this particular primary match-up was even a remote possibility. We've been lucky to witness it. We owe both Clinton and Obama a world of thanks for enduring the inevitable slime that goes along with breaking through privilege, and the other candidates deserve our gratitude as well. It’s been a truly historic ride.