I woke up this morning thinking how good it must have felt when Abraham Lincoln was President. The Sergeant at Arms introduced his State of the Union address with: “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!” I know, I know, not everyone was happy. But I would have been.
Today I am feeling pretty good about things. Call me a dreamer but I’m encouraged by what we saw on the debate stage last Tuesday and Wednesday.
I’m thinking several of the 20 candidates for President should drop out right now and start a run for the Senate. I mean, few of them have any chance at the presidency this time but almost all of them would be a big improvement over the incumbent Senator from their state. Really! Think about it!
For starters, they are all Democrats. And McConnell is almost as big a threat to our future as Trump. We need a few more Dems to get him booted from his powerful position as Majority Leader.
Back to the presidential election. Perhaps like me you were shocked in 2016 to learn that a big percentage of our population (maybe even 35 to 40%!) think like Trump thinks … homophobic, guns whatever the cost, xenophobic, racist, religious chauvinists, politically prudent but not politically brave. So our big challenge in 2020 is to heal that still gaping wound.
The very good news is that this trauma, like much trauma, brings “our better angels” out of hiding, into the sunlight.
I sincerely believe that’s what we’re seeing here. All of a sudden we’re blessed with an embarrassment of riches! Never before have we had so many really good and solid people to choose from! I’m thinking here of Williamson, Bullock, Mayor Pete, Yang, Inslee, Castro and a couple others. These are high quality, a-political people who likely wouldn’t have shown up if it weren’t for the Trump trauma. These seven or eight might have little chance of being elected … this time. But, after a term or two in the Senate, any of them would be a superior President!
Now. Hopefully you’ve noticed I left out Gabbard and O’Rourke. (What’s not to love ? about people with names like Tulsi and Beto!) Anyway, as with the newcomers I already mentioned, it’s not likely either would be running if Bernie or Hillary had won in 2016. But here they are now! And I believe both of them have the chops, gravitas, intelligence, good and bold hearts, to give Joe, Bernie, Elizabeth, and Kamala a run for their money and maybe even win!
Either way, they will have made whoever does win a better President.?
P.S. We progressives, liberals, or whatever you want to call us, have tended, in the past, to stay home—read that not vote—if our favored candidate (or 3rd party) doesn’t make it to the ballot. This time we all have to hold our noses and vote, no matter who the Dems put up! Otherwise Trump gets another 4 years.
Donald Trump is bad for America. He lies, I cannot trust him. His impetus for action is based only on “Is it good for me?”
Sign those email requests asking us to contact our legislators, Participate in local events supporting Democratic candidates. Do whatever you can to “Get out the Vote come Nov 2020