What a week! Last Sunday morning the energy of the country was very heavy. It felt like we were carrying a huge boulder over our heads 24/7. There was a feeling of being lethargic all the time. Who had the energy do anything it was so draining?
Then, at 1:46PM Sunday afternoon, something happened. Something hopeful in the abstract, but anticipated in reality. The most powerful person in the world said he was going to step down from that power and influence at the end of his term. President Biden let us know not only was he dropping his bid for the presidency, he was also fully endorsing his Vice President, Kamala Harris.
Mind-blown!!!
Not because I hadn’t hoped that he would drop out of the race, you all know my feelings from previous posts, but because he actually was listening. He lived up to his character in that he didn’t become president for only the power, but because he wanted to do what he felt was needed for the country in 2020. Based on his character, and of course some persuasion, and facing some hard facts, he did the right thing for the country, not what might be good for him personally. For this, we owe a huge debt of gratitude and grace to President Biden, and to his family.
What surprised me though was the swiftness in the pivot. Vice President Harris was the logical and right choice. A vice president usually steps into the role of front runner during normal times and at the end of a president’s tenure. My fear had been the ruling and donor class would take it upon themselves to try and oust her as the candidate. I knew this would be a huge mistake, and a losing proposition. You don’t snub large blocks of your tried and true voters like that without consequences.
Another surprise that probably should’t have been a surprise, was what we the people stepped up to do right thing right away. We did some of the few things we can do. We donated! We registered! We organized!
What I’ve been saying, what the pundits have been saying, what some in the media have been saying, and what the President and Vice President have been saying, when we come together for a common cause, for what’s right for our democracy, our country, and our lives, we can be unstoppable!
I mean organizations have been breaking Zoom and funding sites with the response we’ve been giving. Hundreds of millions of dollars raised in a very short period of time. Tens of thousands of newly registered voters. Thousands of people signing up to volunteer in any way they can. Groups of people are coming together, many who have never coalesced around a woman, let alone a Black/Asian woman, to help elect Vice President Harris. And delegates and our elected leaders—past and present, quickly at first, then slowly but surely (Obama’s, I’m talking to you on this one), have endorsed Harris. Within days she had the requisite number of delegates to become the new presumptive nominee.
Now, there has been a few grumblings that we weren’t give a choice, that there should have been a brokered convention. I have two things to say about that: 1) We did have a choice, when we voted for Biden, it was the Biden/Harris ticket and only a little over 14 million of us actually showed up at the polls, but when we did, Biden/Harris was the clear winner over the other candidates who were on the Democratic ballot; and 2) With the outpouring of support, as described above with fundraising, voter registration, and delegate and other endorsements, we have made our choice. We could have continued to withhold our donations after the announcement, but we didn’t, which means she has our support.
As with life choices, we must not get overly enthusiastic, we must remain humble and remain vigilant. There are still reasons to be cautious and mindful. Vice President Harris is currently in the infatuation phase of her new campaign. She is “new and shiny”, someone fresh. By all means enjoy it and continue to give time and money. But, as we know, at some point the luster will begin to fade a bit. That is when we must remind ourselves this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Vice President Harris is going to need our energy and support each and every day up until that day we all SHOW UP at the polls to vote, and even into her, hopefully, presidency. Trumplicans, white Christo-Nationalists, Fascists, and dictators worldwide will become more emboldened, as we’ve already seen, to take more drastic actions. Those will include using coded language (DEI candidate for instance), to fire up racists amongst us into a fervor. Nazi and Fascist groups will threaten ever more violence and most likely will follow-through on the threats. Elected Republicans, especially in purple leaning states will step up their voter suppression methods to purge as many Democrats as possible (make sure to continually check your voter registration status between now and election day), and make mail-in and in-person voting harder in areas in which there are more Democratic leaning voters across the nation. And let’s not forget the authors and backers of Project 2025 and Agenda 47. They are not going to let go of their master plan without a huge fight, both in plain sight and subversively.
We must and shall remain vigilant!
Also, please remember to pay attention to your local elections too. Local and State governments, especially State Legislatures have immense power over all elections, state issues such as reproductive rights and abortion, marriage equality, and other day-to-day civil rights. Don’t let them slide by while we concentrate on the Presidency and Congress. Don’t forget as well how the President and Congress have a large say in the judges, especially the Supreme Court, who rule on whether we or corporations, or elected officials, have the final say in our lives (see Roe v Wade, voting rights, presidential immunity, and more).
I’ll end as I often do. Register, donate, volunteer, and most importantly vote! Show up at the polls in November to save not only Democracy, but to save our very way of life in which we keep all the freedom and rights we have fought hard to a get, want to maintain, or demand to have back.
Vote blue up and down the ballot, from dog catcher to state representatives to the President! Join me in helping to save our country and our democracy.
See you at a local campaign headquarters and on November 5, 2024.
Together we can, or rather “We Kam,” do this!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 