Connect! Unite! Act! is a weekly series encouraging the creation of face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups meet to socialize, support candidates, get out the vote, and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert maximum influence on the powers that be. Visit us every week to see how you can get involved!
Over the last few days, I’ve been asked a set of questions that revolve around why winning the Senate is important, even if we don’t hold the House. Or, how winning Georgia might be incredibly important, even if we reach 50-50 without it, and also a possibility if we win Arizona and Nevada, which by the time this is published may be the outcome. Why does it matter? How do we connect with each other, and how do we use this year’s Senate races to act and improve our country? This week in CUA, I want to talk about all of those questions.
In a recent direct message to me here on Daily Kos, I received a question that getting involved in the Senate seemed “depressing” if we had not prevailed in the House, asking, “Is there any real benefit?” This same question was shared by a few other direct messages. It is certainly possible, as of this writing, that we could hold the House. Whether we hold the House or not, what makes holding the Senate so worthwhile that we must redouble our efforts, immediately?
Judges. Judges. Judges. Judges. Judges.
Can I say that one more time? Maybe a few hundred more times? The U.S. Senate is where judges to the Supreme Court and federal benches are approved. Holding the U.S. Senate means that President Biden will continue to have an opportunity to place judges on the federal benches in lifetime appointments. The Republicans have so stacked federal courts for such a considerable amount of time it will take us a very long time to unstack the bench. These appointments will set the grounds for what moves as Jurisprudence, and as a result, the holding of the U.S. Senate is incredibly important.
And here is where winning Georgia becomes more important than ever. Let’s say we win out, both Arizona and Nevada, and we’ve established that Democratic control of the Senate is assured with VP Harris as the tiebreaker. That isn’t the best position to be in, as the party would be at the mercy of a certain Senator from West Virginia. Providing us with a 1 vote margin allows Senator Manchin the ability to vote against the Democratic proposals, knowing the proposals will still pass. This is a great way to keep him when we need him and have a strategy to work around him on appointments and policy when we don’t.
Sending a six-year message
Senate terms are six years. Sending a six-year message to Republicans on these seats is a devastating one, as it means they have a long time to go before they can take another swipe at them. This is especially true in Georgia, where losing a Georgia seat for six years is a dagger in the Republican heart of grabbing back the US Senate in a significant way. The Republican strategy relies on big blocks out of the south and midwest, and the moment anything goes wrong in either area, they have a problem. The loss of Pennsylvania likely means that the state is going to be in Democratic hands for a long time, long beyond six years. The loss of Georgia when Warnock prevails means that they would be forced to spend precious time, money, and resources trying to win that senate seat in 2028, a presidential election year when Republicans are coming out of a past that told them that a state like Georgia — one that flipped blue in 2020 — should be in their back pocket.
We can connect and find ways to do anything possible to support an outcome that gets us one step closer to the future we want.
That said, can we have a little bit of joy around Former President Trump’s failures? It makes me think of this song which I cannot get out of my head.
Humpty dumpty and Betty Louise
Stole a pony and some Camembert cheese
She said "Humpty baby, take me
Oooh, yeah, take me to the river
Cause I like the way it runs, yeah,
Take me to the river
You know I like the way it runs, yeah"
He said, "Everything's going my way"
he said, "Maybe it's my la-lucky day"
And he said, "anything you want
I can give"
She said, "I wanna take your picture
Just for me"
He said, "Anything"
She said, "Up there, baby
Get on the wall babe"
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
And looked at her as he was falling
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again
Ah, Trump. Stuck up on a wall.. and how did that end? Hopefully, Republicans won’t be able to put that monstrosity back together again.
Note: this week, I had a mental error and had inverted two states. My apologies! This has been corrected! See comments!
Holy crap, what an amazing night! Where do we even begin this week's episode of The Downballot? Well, we know exactly where: abortion. Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard recap Tuesday's extraordinary results, starting with a clear-eyed examination of the issue that animated Democrats as never before—and that pundits got so badly wrong. They also discuss candidate quality (still really important!), Democratic meddling in GOP primaries (good for democracy, actually), and "soft" Biden disapprovers (lots of them voted for Democrats).