We are on the eve of a great test for our democratic values—big D and little d democratic. To illustrate the serious stakes, I will begin with an uncharacteristic humorless summary from Charlie Pierce:
I honestly believe that the Democratic Party does not yet appreciate the fact that it is the only viable political vehicle capable of resisting the existential threat that is Trumpism, nor does it realize that time is growing very short. At the moment, it can’t get out of its own way and the clock is ticking ever louder.
He spoke mainly about leaders at the DNC and was critical of Donna Brazile particularly. More on her unproductive accusations and bad timing another day.1 You can take it as I did as a critique of all of us and a call to action.
My friend sent me this link on Friday:
Since I had heard the quote did not mount any outrage when the president spoke—I usually mute his blather out now when he opens his mouth, I am thinking Frum at least in part is right
. What I want is Emily A to be right that it is others who agree anything goes. Dems will pour out in resistance to placing partisan concerns above the rule of law.
So, how heartening it is to see us fire up that engine. The granite state has seen one upset victory after another in heavily Republican state House of Representatives districts. In Manchester, our biggest city, which sits in the most flip floppy congressional district, the incumbent got fewer votes in the September primary than the Democrat Joyce Craig who lost to Gatsas in 2015 by 64 (or was it 75) votes. It is a genuine lift to read ‘The enthusiasm among Virginia Dems is sky high.’ It is high here as well.
Remember what we are gathering tomorrow to support. Sure, we are voting to express the notion that policy matters. We are voting for hundreds of policies that support, families, patients, new Americans and old Americans; an exhaustive list is elsewhere. Simply put, we want to bring back a government capable of decency and a respect for citizens and institutions. I am confident ensuring security through expert advisers and careful decisions is a majority view. Even if, as some have observed, our politics are divided along cultural lines rather than economic divisions, a desire for loyalty and security is no controversy.
We are also gathering tomorrow to oppose dysfunction, debacles, abuse of power, and a cornucopia of corruption.2 We vote tomorrow because we need to be the counterweight to those oblivious and destructive low-information voters who were not stirred to concern last Monday, Mueller Monday, to question our predicament.3 That is the coworker who might say. “there's no difference between them" or “other than his directness and crudeness I don't see any difference between Trump and other Republicans.” That is the person who is blind to the gerrymandering, the tax hikes, and the voter suppression. That is the person who is willing to ignore policy reversals and unacceptable behavior. Some of those folks, after all these failures, are still expecting a pivot or a ‘good deal’ to come out of this administration. Think about that.
What happened in 2016? What I noticed on November 8 last year for the first time in years there was no line to vote. No line at my Ward station correlated with bad news for Dems. My unscientific theory is that we failed to rally for our values or our candidates. It follows that I hope to stand in a line to vote tomorrow .
1At least the book has not shaken the enthusiasm in VA. we can debate later; let’s vote first.
2If you need another look at the cornucopia of abuse we all know—It is hard to hold back a review:
A confession of tax evasion preceded the election. The moment of inauguration brought an unethical quid pro quo front and center. The first family gets millions from golf members, guests, and foreign officials (who are also guided to a personal hotel) while CEOs and lobbyists get access to president. Now through the so-called Paradise Papers—Hey wikileaks, there are other sharks in the water —we discover Jared Kushner in Wilbur Ross had even more ties to Russian money. Another day another Russian connection.
Oh yes, who can forget the next layer of graft. Golf trips to the tune of hundreds of millions of public expense, cabinet gazillionares, so aloof some have not even seen it as waste in private plane trips at public expense. With all this personal aggrandizement, throwing folks off insurance—tried multiple times now, seems like a side project. Another project to preserve the supporters’ in a state of fear, is stoking racial unrest and discriminating on religious grounds. Legislation is way down on the list below culture conflicts.
Who can forget the ongoing botched disaster recovery in Puerto Rico with overt racial animosity along with a garnish of a fishy no bid contract. Speaking of racism, immigration officers spared no effort and wasted no time before abusing their position—in multiple ways.
3Cooperation between the Trump campaign and a hostile power was real. The Russian government made stolen emails available to multiple members of the Trump campaign, months before it was common knowledge these were hacked and stolen. Trump campaign members—an ever-growing number of Trump campaign members, concealed this theft by a foreign power and sought to exploit the stolen information. By the way, Infiltration of our electoral system is real and ongoing.