I think what discourages Democrats most is that the majority of Americans don’t learn from history. As a result, the majority of Americans continue to vote against their own interests.
It’s frustrating, to say the least.
Something that easily could have been avoided was the Great Recession of 2008. Had elected officials looked at the causes of the Great Depression, they would have known what was coming down the pike. But greed, avarice, and complete control by their Wall Street handlers cleared the way for politicians to step aside and watch America’s economy implode. It was Barack Obama whose own sense of history informed his approach to getting the ship of state back on course. All he had to do was look to Franklin Delano Roosevelt who, as a candidate in 1932, was baffled by President Hoover’s inaction. At an address at Atlanta’s Oglethorpe University in May 1932, he urged Americans to help save themselves.
“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach.”
Republicans in Congress have taken us to the brink of — or perhaps have already placed us into — a constitutional crisis. As Democrats who haven’t been sucked into an alternate reality, we are the only ones who can save ourselves. That means getting involved. Dedicating at least a few hours a week to making phone calls, knocking on doors, finding a candidate you trust and can support and then offering your talents and services, making a donation if you can afford to, providing in-kind services that boosts a campaign. It’s a whole lot easier to sit back and complain, but if November 7 rolls around and we’re stuck where we are or, even worse, lost ground, it will be a far more challenging mountain to climb to defeat, once and for all, the political hacks who have abdicated their oath to America. So get creative, experiment with solutions, spread the word, bang the drum...
But above all, try something.
(I won’t win this race without an abundance of moral and/or monetary support. Whichever you can share on social media or via a secure ActBlue donation would be appreciated.)