Maybe Things Will Get A Little Better – If We Work Like Hell

It's Who We Are, It's What We Do

Clouds On Fire - Photograph by Martha Ture

“History recognizes actions that are bigger than self. Joe Biden will go down as one of the great ones, having led the country out of the disastrous term of his predecessor and quietly doing good things for all Americans, red state as well as blue, accomplishments that put him up there, in terms of legislative action, with LBJ and FDR. Joe, I can’t imagine where we’d be without your selfless service.” —Ken Burns on X

The national emotional atmosphere has changed radically since President Biden announced that he would not seek re-election, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, and Harris has collected more than enough delegate support to win the nomination and avoid a disastrous open Chicago Democratic Convention like that of 1968. That relief and energy generated by Kamala Harris is a delight to see, largely because we need a ray of hope and because the future is no longer an argument between representatives of the past.   

Isn’t that wonderful? We’re no longer cage matching two elderly men and their corners. We’re looking at a historic moment, a first for the United States, a brilliant, wolf-eyed For The People prosecutor, senator, and vice president to lead us and even before picking a vice-presidential candidate with whom to run, she’s collected more money and more endorsements in 72 hours than anyone ever running for president, Ever. Ever.

The GOP is reportedly angry enough to announce their intent to sue President Biden to force him to stay in the race.  (A litigation effort without merit, based on facts, as President Biden is not formally on any state’s 2024 ballot.)

But the rabid attacks on Kamala Harris and on the Democratic Party have already begun.  Polls up to this moment are showing Harris up over Trump by 2 points in a couple of battleground states, and 2 points are within the margin of error.  She is being attacked as incompetent, impotent on immigration, anti-Israel, a radical, etc.  

Harris has been deemed unpopular because she is a woman of color.

Trump does slightly better with White voters when up against Harris rather than Biden, leading Harris by 16 points and Biden by 14. The former president, and the Republican Party overall, relies largely on the support of White voters without a college degree and evangelical Christians.

And looking at Georgia yesterday, Harris trails Trump by 4.6 points in Georgia — underperforms with women, non-black minorities

Women are the largest voting bloc in the United States.

The largest voting bloc in the United States is White women.  They are 38% of the voters.

Single white women voted 54%-48% for Biden in 2020.

But married white women voted 58%-42% for Trump.

This is because married white women voted with their husbands. 

White women's values, per Galvanize Action Home - Galvanize Action, are patriotism, nostalgia, protecting their families, fairness, reproductive rights.

They are being targeted by the GOP with messages exhorting them to fear nonwhites, immigrants, sexual non-heteros, and they are being taught to feel that they do not have a voice in political discussions.  They are being taught to seek a strong man leader and to follow their husbands ("benevolent sexism.")

Increasing Democratic voter registration and overcoming the GOP messages to white women are key to winning in November.

In a Focus For Democracy  Zoom call on Thursday, June 20,  one of the speakers was Jeremy Smith, of Civitech. 

Smith, who served in the Army's Special Operations as a counterterrorism and hostage rescue leader, said "Registering voters is like rescuing hostages.  First you have to learn where they are not."

What this means to each of us is doing what we can to get out the vote. Donate money where it’s best spent. Sign up with our fellow citizens banded together in provident organizations to send voter registration forms to potential voters, send texts, make calls, organize to drive voters to the polls.

We are in a fight for our lives and for the planet. The GOP’s policy plans are clearly spelled out in their Project 2025. They intend to wipe out human rights, individual liberties, destroy environmental and climate policies, weaken federal oversight and policymaking capabilities, roll back legislation passed during Biden’s first term, and eliminate career personnel. The policy changes it suggests—which include executive orders that Trump could implement single-handedly, regulatory changes by federal agencies, and legislation that would require congressional approval—would make it extremely difficult for the United States to fulfill the climate goals it has committed to under the 2015 Paris Agreement.  And Trump has stated that he plans to end US military aid to Ukraine unless the Ukrainian government enters into peace talks with Putin. As Putin has made clear, he wants nothing except the takeover of Ukraine, the end of NATO, and hegemony over Europe. That’s all.

We are all in this together, whether we know it or not.

Pace yourself, and don’t quit. One more time. We’re all in this together.