When you discriminate against so many different groups of people, eventually the backlash will be too much to overcome.
But it feels like we are still waiting for the other shoe to drop against the GOP. They’ve attacked unions and workers in Wisconsin, yet the polls remain tight and Governor Scott Walker has to be the light favorite entering the recall. They’ve attacked gays, Latinos, Muslims, & women yet it’s not enough to keep America away from its fascination with the far-right.
At this point, I have to ask myself; why is it still a debate? I understand that some states will always be harder for a progressive to win, but it seems the voting public always falls for the same attacks that if you elect a progressive; you have spit on a Founding Father.
Which makes sense in their eyes, because Father Knows Best.
Yet, on the horizon; just when I believe that all hope is lost for the GOP to get what they deserve, a vision pops into my head.
The world is changing, regardless of the GOP’s attempt to self-deport itself back into the 1950s. We are in the midst of a revitalized empowerment movement that is only existing due to the 10th-century ideals of the Republican Party. Women, unions, gays, etc. are standing together; not for political gain but for political acceptance. The tides are turning, slowly but surely, to create a society that might be discriminatory at first but more open with each other as former taboos become today’s history lessons.
We aren’t there yet. As of right now, the world is still full of black or white issues. Anything that puts you in the GOP’s perceived “gray area” requires immediate silencing and humiliation. Or at least, a haircut.
But there is a nightmare for the GOP on the horizon.
What if I told you that there was someone who represented almost everything that the GOP was against? What if I told you that there was someone who has a chance to show that Americans would be willing to look past what’s on-the-surface to elect who was a best fit? What if I told you that this someone could also be elected due to the GOP continuing to be out-of-touch with its party?
Yes, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin represents the GOP’s worst nightmare (though Elizabeth Warren always deserves mention too) in 2012. She could very well be the first openly gay elected Senator and could also easily win the nomination due to the fact that the GOP establishment still can’t be in-touch with its far-right base. If former Governor Tommy Thompson doesn’t win the nomination (even if he does though it’ll be a tight race), Baldwin will be running even with a bevy of right-wing challengers.
Baldwin’s race is on-the-radar but the story lines surrounding it make it one of the more intriguing races of 2012.
The GOP has long-been out of touch with everyday America but when you don’t even know what your supporters want? That’s a recipe for a disaster akin to Americans Elect.
Tammy Baldwin, if elected, would fight for the people but also represent something more to others. She would be a hero to the burgeoning LGBT community and a leader for increasingly empowered women. She also is a champion of progressivism and along with Bernie Sanders (and hopefully Sherrod Brown) can help our country take the next step towards a world of inclusion.
It’s been long implied that D.C. is just a place for old, white men. But as each year passes, we get closer to a country that includes everyone. Yes, it still pays to be rich but we are getting closer as a nation for which many children from different walks of life can have idols to look up to.
That nation could be more reality than dream with the election of Tammy Baldwin.
But that reality is the GOP’s worst nightmare.
EDIT at 6:59PM: To donate to Tammy Baldwin's campaign visit:
Tammy Baldwin's Official Senate Campaign Site