I was just about to write that it is good to wake up this morning and not smell the fascism.
Then I thought about congress. The House is still in play. But it looks like we will hold the senate or maybe gain a seat.
The problem with that scenario is that absolutely nothing will get done. And the house will start slinging poop on day one.
There are other threats. The Moore v Harper case, involving the legally ridiculous “independent state legislature” theory may be like a monster just under the surface. Legally ridiculous, but just the kind of thing this illegitimate Supreme Court may embrace.
And we don’t know yet about the state legislatures and election officials. How many states put election deniers in charge of elections? )yes, I feel I have entered a dystopian alternative universe, or at least taken bad acid…)
I know we are all bruised. I know we are all fatigued.
We need to take a little break as the rest of the results of this election sort themselves out.
And then we must start working on the next election, the general, immediately.
November 5, 2024, is the end game the fascist oligarchs have had their eye on for years.
They will be ready and we must be too.
It is time to strategize and raise money. It is time to mount the strongest resistance we can. It is time to focus.
If we are lucky enough to hold the House by even one seat, another voting rights bill must be passed and sent to the Senate.
If we lose control of the House we must craft a different plan.
But it begins in just a few short days.
Let’s make a commitment now to do whatever it takes to prevail.
What is the best strategy going forward? How do we win in 2024?
There have been many good suggestions. Run a candidate with real charisma. Get the youth involved. Upgrade our messaging.
I am thinking of three things that should be done and can be done. The party must make common cause in service of continued democracy with a broad coalition, from the progressives who are not so pure as to refuse to do the right thing, to the angry women, to the youth, to disaffected old school Republicans. We need at least 85 million voters committed to this goal.
Then, they must reach out to the working class white folks and do whatever is needed to make them see that they are seen. That their economic struggles are taken seriously. Some of this demographic are in thrall to the MAGA cult. But not all of them. Some are just dealing with grinding poverty. Some were left behind when the unrestrained capitalists moved on from exploiting their labor and left them high and dry.
They blame the “elites” who they have been convinced is tantamount to “Democrats”. Nothing has been done to disabuse them of that notion.
Third, stop playing nice. I am not talking about insane and baseless attacks. But the Democrats must be willing to throw an elbow or more, as needed. There is no way to wrestle these nasty creatures to the ground without getting some on us.
We should not be afraid to hurt them politically while absolutely refraining from physical violence. Americans don’t like physical violence in their politics.
One example would be to go ahead and indict DJT and any complicit members of Congress. Because nobody is above the law.
If they do these things we have a good chance of finally stopping this in 2024.
Right now I am starting to form the plans for resistance. We have about a year to do what must be done.
We have won a great battle, but by only a slim margin. The war is not over by half.
Thank you for keeping up the awareness and the determination to make our country better!
excellent article