I went to bed last Tuesday night cautiously optimistic and hopeful, but I still held my breath. I remember 2016. And January 6, 2021. And 2024. I’m not going to rehash it, not at this moment.
For a few brief, shining moments, Wednesday was glorious. Grinning ear to ear wherever I went. We were almost dancing at work. It was great!
Then, “progressives” went off the deep end. I wish I could say I’ve never seen anything like it, but we do this to ourselves every election. Win, then blame, blame, blame, pick apart the good guys, and the Republicans destroy us again.
I got a lot of grief more recently than not for asking folks to not let perfection be the enemy of good.
I know that one of our major problems is that Dems fall in love; Republicans fall in line. Do I want to move in lockstep? I don’t, but I also don’t want to trip over someone’s stuck out foot because they think some “bro” is going to save them. I am damned disappointed in those bros, whether they be bernie’s or the pod’s.
I’m also tired of pundits who blather rather than inform, who mock and threaten even though they’re wrong about the reasons for the spectacular win on Tuesday (I’m thinking of two in particular). I wish some of these people would learn how government works. I guess I should be thankful that these guys are not suggesting AOC for Senate Majority Leader – they at least know that much.
Two statements and then some suggestions:
- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries will be the new Speaker of the House come January.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer will be the Majority Leader in the Senate come January.
And that’s the way it should be. They’re the ones that got us over the finish line. I don’t care what Bernie’s telling you. Or what you think about El-Sayed, on either side of the aisle. FYI, our Senate margin is big enough that no one person can ‘manchin-sinema’ us. In the case of Jeffries, he was mentored and guided by Nancy Pelosi, one of the most brilliant political minds of this century. He knows what he’s doing. Let him lead. To the new kids on the block, sit down, listen, be a team player, and learn something new.
On to the suggestions:
If you’re not on Threads, get on Threads. It’s not perfect, but it isn’t the sewage that Twitter is.
Follow these people – they know what they’re talking about and they can explain it better than I can, which is why I follow them. Do I agree with them 100% of the time? Hell no! But I respect their opinions, their discussions, and their common sense. They will guide you through this time.
Marc E. Elias and his group, Democracy Docket
