It comes down to this...the Supreme Court.
The most influence a President can have on America, extending far beyond his or her term in office, is through the appointment of one or more Supreme Court justices.
Between the President's ability to appoint and the Senate's ability to approve, we, as progressives, HAVE TO fight our asses off to keep Dems in the White House and Senate for the foreseeable future. That is the ONLY way we can stop these destructive, highly right wing decisions.
I am no fan of Hillary Clinton. And I may well oppose her in the primaries. But there is NO WAY I won't fight hard to elect her in a general election over ANY Republican. That goes for just about any Dem. And even this year, I am changing my mind about one Senate race I was sitting out: Louisiana. You see, Sen. Mary Landrieu has been so right wing I haven't really cared if she loses her seat.
But today, as the impacts of the Supreme Court decisions start sinking in, I am now even willing to have Mary Landrieu's back...I admit I am likely to put more effort into better candidates, but even Mary Landrieu sitting in the Senate is better than a Republican because if nothing else, she will be a vote for a Democratic President's Supreme Court nominee.
So right now, though I will certainly spend a great deal of time fighting for progressives in primaries (see, for example, my Reform Albany Act Blue Site), I think my main focus will be the Senate now and the Presidency in 2016...and whoever our candidates are I will support them.
I honestly think we can hold the Senate. MAYBE even gain a seat or two? My Closest Races in 2014 is an Act Blue site dedicated to keeping the Senate and to fight for Governor and House races particularly in states with close Senate races. Synergy between Senate candidates and candidates for other offices can often succeed better than a campaign working in isolation, so I am highlighting even some not so close races in states with hot Senate races to try and encourage such synergy.
I have just passed the $1000 mark. Can we get up to $2000 and really kick ass in November? PLEASE DONATE TO WIN KEY RACES IN 2014.
In addition, eying not just this year but 2015 and 2016, I am raising money for feminist, choice, LGBT, immigrant, etc. advocacy groups that can help set up a great progressive victory machine for 2016: Moving America Forward 2014. This is a broader effort, focusing on many states including some pretty red ones in an attempt to strengthen progressives in blue states and establish more effective opposition to the right wing in red states. PLEASE DONATE TO MOVE AMERICA FORWARD! This IS a culture war and we are on the right side...let's fight for it.
The Greedy Oil Party will push as hard as they can to take away the rights of everyone except wealthy white men and their corporations. The rest of us really have to fight back.