It's just a thought, but the Democrats were the fist major party to nominate as their top two candidates a woman, a Jew and an African American.
When it comes to equality we haven't come anywhere near far enough in our lifetime because there is no near far enough: you either are equal or you are not. But the fact is that our tickets more closely resemble the country. The crowds at our rallies more closely resemble the country. The delegates at our national convention more closely resemble the country. Our Democratic National Committee more closely resemble the country.
We need more women and minorities in Mayor's offices and legislatures and Governor's mansions and the House and Senate and the White House, yes.
But one thing you can see is that at the very least we have taken to heart the words of the great revolutionary Reverend James J. Lasher of Vonnegut's Player Piano:
"You thought we were sure to lose?" said Paul huskily.
"Certainly," said Lasher, looking at him as though Paul had said something idiotic.
"But you’ve been talking all along as though it were almost a sure thing," said Paul.
"Of course, Doctor, said Lasher patronizingly. "If we hadn’t all talked that way, we wouldn’t have had that one chance in a thousand. But I didn’t let myself lose touch with reality."
"If we didn't have a chance, then what on earth was the sense of--?" Paul left the sentence unfinished, and included the ruins of Ilium in a sweep of his hand.
"It doesn’t matter if we win or lose, Doctor. The important thing is that we tried. For the record, we tried!"
"What record?" said Paul.
"Revolutions aren’t my main line of business," said Lasher, his voice deep and rolling. "I’m a minister, Doctor, remember? First and last, I’m an enemy of the Devil, a man of God!"
And because of that fight against the Devil over the past 50 years (or 250), because even though we thought we were going to lose, there was still that chance in a thousand because we tried anyway. For the record, we tried.
We have a woman as Speaker of the House. We have a Mormon as the Majority Leader in the Senate. We have Hispanics and women in Governor's mansions. 50 years ago all that would have been ridiculous.
And now we have a real chance to elect an African American man to the White House. We have a real chance to send two women to the House of Representatives in New Jersey, one white and one black. We have a real chance to have a woman or a Hispanic or whatever as the Vice Presidential nominee.
We have a better than even chance, because of all those failed attempts that people knew were impossible but took anyway, of moving this country farther ahead than I expected to see in my lifetime.
I grew up in a world where women in the workplace was a controversial topic, the ERA failed and the Republican nominee for President started his 1980 campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
My kids might grow up in a world where no one thinks twice about whether an African American or a woman can become President.
Now all we have to do is follow through. Will we?