A guest essay by Rick Katzenberg
“Why do the media keep saying this election was a loss for Democrats? It wasn’t.”
(Rebecca Solnit in The Guardian )
I honestly don’t care what they say/write or how dark they paint the picture. The Virginia election was a good day to learn a few important lessons, especially regionally, to work on messages , to check our GOTV efforts, and to get some practice in the minor leagues before the big league season starts. “Talking heads” need to be drama queens to sound smart and attract comments and clicks. I don’t think even they believe everything that they hear themselves saying.
Mid-January the war begins. It will be expensive, dirty, filled with lies and bombast, and will drive critical thinkers crazy. It was a real wakeup call. Find a few experts who speak the truth and pay attention to them and try to block the rest. But do not turn off the battle, hard as that might be. Help figure out what might sell our point of view and what won’t annoy or turn off the voters. Get each voter to think about the election, what’s in it for them, their families and their communities. There won’t be much in the way of gray, only black and white. 30% of our fellow Americans are lost causes, as they have swallowed the lies and haven’t the capacity to address the issues with thoughtfulness and logic. Another 30% of us are the exact opposite and will vote straight Democratic, up and down the ballot. It is that middle 40% that will decide the outcome and must be our target.
At risk next November, and in state primaries leading up to that vote, is simply the future of our country — no less than that. If we lose the House or the Senate, we are in huge trouble. 2024 will take care of itself (Trump will pretend to be running but he will not ultimately be a candidate!), but 2022 will define our future. More than 50% of Americans agree with us on every single issue. So, clear your desks and your minds. Prepare to be active and useful. Do not leave this campaign to “other folks.” It is going to take each of us who can educate others not just how to vote but make sure they actually vote! Repeat — Our task is to make sure that 50% of eligible voters in every district actually vote!
We will have way more ammunition after the passage of the BBB bill, which will, of course, eventually pass. The economy will be great, COVID will be under control, wages will keep climbing, unemployment will keep falling, a variety of benefits from the two large bills will start to be received by families, etc. We may, just may, fall into the sweet spot of running a positive campaign with exciting results to show for our first 18 months in control. Remember, the lies and meanness will be energy-sapping and might drive us crazy. Just ignore the BS and stay on message. Let’s hope someone in the next 60 days figures out what that message is. We didn’t have one in Virginia but, as I said before, that was just practice.
Most readers of this essay aren’t kids anymore. Some of us were activists once upon a time and many of us still are. What have we each learned? What are we prepared to admit about the world we are leaving behind to our offspring and theirs? What can we do now to make our next commitment to a better, more thoughtful, healthier, and peaceful world? It is time for reflection. We are either serious about our life’s work or pretenders. The tops of the mountains and the seats by quiet streams should be busy places while we each figure this out for ourselves. In the end, we must get emotionally involved and help create the change we wish to see!
Great essay Dad!
Unfortunately, many people “poo poo” the idea that the US could lose its democracy. However, our country is relatively new and laws could easily be overwritten by forces that be. We are terrified by what may happen within the next two election cycles; people with any conscience need to be involved, and stay involved, in this treacherous path. The “other side” will try to win at ANY cost.