Progressives are mobilizing to resist the assaults on democracy, human rights, the safety net, the environment, and our health care – all are coming from the Trump administration, as we must. His government is certainly the most right-wing extremist in history, a collection of billionaires, corporate chieftains, ideologues purposely placed to undermine the very agencies they lead. I believe that we must clearly communicate to voters that had disaffected from Obama the values that undergird our beliefs. Though this isn't a retreat from #Resistance we can not lose sight of the fact that right extremists now have total control of state and federal offices in nearly 31 states.
We've seen once they took power they rolled back rights and hurt working families – Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker war on labor unions to the draconian anti-latino law signed this month by Greg Abbott in my beloved Texas . Their extremism knows no bounds. When Democrat Roy Cooper ousted the Republican Governor last November, Pat McCrory, the Governor who signed the infamous potty anti-LGBT law, HB 2, veto-proof majorities in the North Carolina legislature preemptively attempted to restrict the Governor’s power. They failed but it was the lesson the rights extremist knows no bounds!
Just like Trump, the extremists who have taken over the nation and statehouses were swept into power by votes, and they must be taken out by the vote. Democrats have a lousy record on midterms and it's something I truly have worries about.
The first opportunity to do this since we lost all 4 special elections is less than five months away, with important elections for the North Carolina legislature. Also for the Governor, and legislative body in both Virginia and New Jersey (Christie isn't seeking reelection and has low ratings but Trumps victory showed we should not take anything for granted). One year llater from now, 35 governorship, legislative bodies in 46 states will be in play – not to mention the composition of the U.S. House, which must be a check on Trump. These elections will be critical for us to stand up to him and his enablers, it will play a huge role in determining the balance of political power in the United States for years to come. If we don’t focus on this rather than the persistent screeching of Russia and immediately, we’ll have a steeper battle, it likely will be too late to reverse threats to our winning the house. So to be clear, we have to mobilize, right now!
I don't believe any progressive denies that Right-wingers made huge gains in the midterm elections of 2010 because democrats became complacent and allowed a smaller, older, whiter, midterm electorate to hand overwhelming control of government to the obstructionist Tea Party along other ultra-right Republicans. The right has been at this for a very long time, funded by powerful groups like the Bradley Foundation and the sordid Koch network, even others, sadly progressives built no real capacitiesreal but a few states.
Our challenge is clear. We need to build powerful, enduring, authentic activist progressive political machinations in more states.
Regardless of what Trump means for the Republicans and its infrastructure, we know that the Kochs, Bradley Foundation, Witherspoon, Betsy Devos favorite Acton network are now stronger than ever and they will remain focused as they have been for decades.
The political situation in the states is at a crisis the need to mobilize I can't stress enough is urgent.
Right-wing government has been disastrous for states in the past ten years; repressive voter ID laws; attacks on women, gays, refugees, Planned Parenthood and labor unions; tax cuts for the rich, attacks on the working Poor, cuts in vital services for them and even the middle class. Right-wing Governors and their Attorneys General made their states ground zero for their rather successful efforts to destroy Obamacare (the Senate seems to finish it off on Tuesday) and EPA clean power (Pruitt is working maniacal in gutting it). Also for POC, there has been intolerable voter suppression and shocking levels of inaction regarding criminal justice refor.
My point is the stakes in 2020 is now as you see monumental. The outcome of the 2018 elections will determine the composition of state governments with redrawing Congressional redistricting lines. After the above spoken disastrous 2010 midterm and ushering in Republicans in power to key states, tinto have now gerrymandered districts to lock in that power.
Let me be clear States and midtemidterms are now the epicenter of American pover. Those of us who consider ourselves Progressivea, must focus time, energies and yes even substantial resources; and do it as if the life of every American depends on us. The reality is: because they do!