I was walking around town this morning when I ran into one of my friends from the campaign and he asked me if I was going to watch Jill Stein speak in Manchester. I told him I was busy, and after hemming and hawing for a few minutes I admitted that I would be out canvassing for the NH Dems. He gave me a look of half surprise/half disgust and got really quiet, so I figured he was thinking about just walking away, but he kept his composure and just asked “why?”. I’m thankful that he did because he is a good guy and a solid Progressive, and it gave me a chance to explain myself. So I hope that you will give me that chance too.
When Bernie first announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination, he said he was doing it to build a Progressive movement. He wasn't doing it so he could be President, he was doing it so that we could learn to work the system and create a better world for everyone. Bernie has spent 50 years standing up for civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, the right to be educated and the right to medical care. He has always put us before himself, and it really saddened me to see Progressives turn on him Tuesday in Portsmouth.
We have a lot at stake this election, and I’m not just talking Trump vs. Clinton. Statehouses have become the incubators of terrible ALEC inseminated Rosemary’s babies. George Zimmerman walks the streets a free man because of statehouse politics, before the latest Supreme Court hearings abortion clinics were being shuttered because of local ordinances, and unions are withering under recently passed “Right to Work (without any rights)” laws. The Right has found their way to get around the gridlock in Washington, and we should’t just stop it, we should learn from it.
Taking Statehouses is crucial in a couple of ways; we can stop the aforementioned ALEC, we can use them to push our own agendas, and we can develop future talent to further the Progressive cause. For our own agenda, one of the best ideas is that we can force a change thru our Constitution to get money out of politics. We can also redefine the 2nd Amendment if we are bold enough, using the same methods. Many good things can come from our states if we find and promote the right Democrats. Presidential candidates like Bernie are a once and a lifetime event...or at least that’s what everyone said...but where did Bernie come from? He came from a local election, and moved onto a Congressional seat, then the Senate and finally, his run this year. If you want another great Progressive to vote for in eight years, you need to start now and you need to start local. Presidents come from Governor’s mansions and the Senate, Governors and Senators come from Statehouses and Mayor’s offices. “Think White House, Act Locally” should be our new bumpersticker.
Finally on the elephant in the room: Hillary vs. Trump...it’s Hillary vs. Trump, don't kid yourselves. You can either choose the next President or you can vote third party and let others choose the President for you. We’ve been through this before, and we know how it works. We (myself included) chose Nader, and Bush won. The message that we were hoping to send to the Democratic Party fell on deaf ears because in 2004 we didn't get Kucinich, we got the two Johns: a very establishment Democrat, and a guy that couldn't keep his pants on long enough to let his wife die with dignity, and WOW!!!….how we couldn't wait to vote for that DNC/Wall St. approved “dream team”. So if Trump wins, we will panic and beg the DNC to pick our savior for us, and worse yet, we will also have to reset the clock and go possibly another eight years So for the next eight years: let’s make peace, use our new found skills from the Bernie campaign to get as many Progressive elected as possible, work within the system, let the older establishment Dems die off and younger Progressives reach voting age (remember: we didn't lose by a lot, all we need is a swing of 5%), and keep our eyes on 2024. Long story short, vote Hillary and join your local campaign.
Postscript: My friend said “Maybe in August I might have some time to help”.