Being a Democrat is such a remarkable thing. I care about and applaud the morality of ‘our’ side. For me it isn’t about being BETTER than Republicans. It’s about doing the right thing, about caring for and about others, about maximizing opportunity and fairness for everyone. About fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves.
More below!
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I know we Democrats aren’t all on the same page, about so many things. In many ways I cherish that diversity and uniqueness, even if it complicates political functioning and competitiveness.
I’m reminded about that episode that The West Wing did after 9/11, that had no place in the usual WW timeline of events. A group of students were on lockdown in the White House with them, and they had a conversation. The episode was Isaac and Ishmael, and it first aired on 10/3/2001. At the end of the episode, Josh Lyman tells the students:
Learn things. Be good to each other. Read the newspapers, go the movies, go to a party. Read a book. In the meantime, remember pluralism. You want to get these people? I mean, you really want to reach in and kill them where they live? Keep accepting more than one idea. Makes 'em absolutely crazy.
(Episode excerpt from westwingtranscripts, though I remembered it almost verbatim.)
I really like the plural idea!
Even so, there are frustrating aspects about being a Democrat at a time when we are faced with a super-organized, super consistent adversary. We have so many things on our side, and then we come to the election and it’s the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.
We’ve allowed them to steal so many elections with their cheating. With their gerrymandering. With their voter suppression dirty (and COWARDLY!) tricks. With so many other kinds of cheating and dishonesty.
In 2016 I marveled, as the election approached, at what it felt like, for once, to feel like the election was a done deal. With us finally going to win a clear victory, for once. Yet it didn’t happen, and the catastrophic consequences of that election just keep coming. Racists emboldened, misogynists, virulent nationalists and supremacists emboldened and empowered, the cheating expanded and dialed in, their complete control of all branches of the government (including the COURTS!), federal and state …
And it isn’t just their ruthless efficiency and focus, it’s also our shortcomings in making the arguments, in organizing ourselves and our allies. We’ve made mistakes for a number of election cycles.
Even so, I am sensing a different energy, this time. With our fellow Democrats. With our allies, with our friends, with our constituencies. An intention that pronounces boldly: ENOUGH!
That we will GET the vote out, for once. That we are making the case for voting with our allies and friends. That we’re determined to sweep aside the bullshit obstacles to voting that they have spent so many resources constructing.
It seems to me to be a different sentient energy. A determination. A commitment. A resolve. An INTENT.
And it’s the happiest thing I have seen since … that 2016 debacle.
I know it isn’t over. I know this election won’t finalize anything. I know this election will see defeats where we had great hopes. I think it will also have exceptional victories! But I won’t be disheartened if we don’t win everything I wish we could. And I won’t commit any less completely to the 2020 fight. I know you won’t either.
If you would like to read a luminous diary of hope this evening, you can hardly do better than Neeta Lind’s excellent diary about the commitment and focus of our Native American brothers and sisters, fighting despite the incredible efforts to tamp them down. Magnificent! Inspirational!
Enough! I know you feel it too. Godspeed to us all these next 8 days!
On to tonight’s comments!
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From CwV:
This comment by PvtJarHead is really funny!!
From Wee Mama:
Highlighted by Debra Rowley:
Is this comment by kovie about Trump and his fascism.
Highlighted by
rsunde:
This entire thread begun by
Denver11 needed highlighting, thanks to the wit of
BOHICA,
PadreMellyrn,
quietcornerlefty and
gfb (among many!)
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