(New Yorker cover - November 16)
The November 3 mid-term election most certainly sent the message that the American people are fairly well fed up. Fed up with the status quo of our inert elected legislators, the unrelenting inflation that has only been exasperated by the unprecedented use of extreme tariffs waged against the world, and an unsanctioned war that seriously compromised the flow of fossil fuel and much needed supplies such as fertilizers needed to sustain our domestic agricultural base. Fed up with the excessive, unwarranted domestic assaults and deportations against minorities and the immigrants. That this same voting population is also fairly well tired of the unbridled corruption within the administration, and Trumps laissez-faire attitudes when it comes to feathering his own nest. We voted for change.
It was a resounding thumping by the Democrats that MAGA and the GOP received; play time is over. But for how long? In David Remnick's The New Yorker essay, "Breaking the Decade-Long Trump Fever", he outlines the similarities of the Nixon era. The Watergate investigation leading to Nixon's ultimate resignation and pardon by Gerald Ford. The Democrats regaining power in the legislature, and national anti-Nixon sentiment that carried Jimmy Carter into the White House. Then went further to outline how that was all unraveled as Ronald Regan and his right-wing ideology took over the country and the White House, allowing the Republicans regained control of the Senate by 1980.
I am of that era. I was a firm Carter supporter (even though I was still too young to vote). I watched that wave of Democratic energy take over the country; that sense of moral righting. I feel I witnessed that seismic shift of 1974 again this past November 3. Part of me wants to be hopeful - yearns to be hopeful. Please, oh please, don't falter! It is still far to soon after the election for any new Democratic leadership to surface let alone set the platform and policies going forward, but this can rapidly enter into familiar territory. As Remnick summarized;
"...reformers of 1974 found themselves defending gains they had expected to build on. They had helped change Washington, but the country was changing in ways they struggled to understand. (Our) next Congress will succeed not through an obsession with retribution and punishment but by delivering on the myriad hopes and demands of the voters who elected its members. The Democrats of 2026 have won an extraordinary opportunity. What they make of it will determine what this election means." From Breaking the Decade-Long Trump Fever - David Remnick / New Yorker
I just hope that this is not like "Groundhog Day"; wondering how long we go before we have wake up and revisit this mishigas all over again. I am anxious to see what the next seven weeks bring, who will be the leaders and what direction this new Congress is going to try and guide the country towards.
Early New Years Resolution
We voted for change. We brought leadership into positions to effect change. Unlike past elections, we can NOT treat this as a "Dump and run"; i.e. "Okay, you're in office, now fix it. Bu-bye!" and we toddle about on our merry way. We have to remain engaged and involved. I really like the young energy of our regional politicians. Many of whom I met throughout the Indivisible "No Kings!" protests and rallies. Some won seats in this recent election, some did not, but we are going to come together starting this week, as a thriving grass-roots community to keep driving the change we need. We're finally in the wave we've been hoping for. After January 3, we have to keep the pedal to the metal.
Onward,
Rade
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