Democrats united
As you may recall it became a virtual catchphrase for Democrats during the 2020 election that we strive to avoid making perfect the enemy of good enough. The idea was that it was not only important to elect a Democrat as our President but to elect Democratic members of the House and Senate as well. Any Democrat would do. We needed the votes and their specific ideologies needed to take a back seat. It was essential that we keep the House and take back the Senate. We succeeded, barely, but we succeeded. And that was the point.
As you may also recall there was a great deal of strife and even enmity between mainstream Democrats and Progressives. That strife and enmity created tension inside the party and some of us wavered in our resolve. But common sense carried the day and Democrats who needlessly threw away their votes on third party candidates who were foreordained to lose or Democrats who didn’t vote at all hurt us only a little, but not enough to defeat us.
I sense no such disunity this time. This time I think almost everyone understands what’s at stake. I think almost everyone understands that Democrats simply must defeat Republicans in numbers great enough for us to retain the House, the Senate, state legislatures and the majority of state governorships, and Democrats are on board with it. Anything less than unity this time could be disastrous and could spell the end of the 246 year old experiment known as the United States of America. I think most of us understand this, and most of us will act accordingly.
Therefore I do not join the many in the mainstream media who predict a win for Republicans on Tuesday. I think they are wrong. I think we are going to win, and we are going to win massively. I sense a groundswell, a tsunami, a quiet revolution that will sweep us into dominance across the country. I think it will be the result of three unmistakable trends: a stronger unity than we had in 2020, a better understanding of what’s at stake and the fact that many Republicans and independents are secretly sick of Donald Trump and his malfeasance and are going to vote against him despite denying it publicly.
I’ll say it again: I think we are going to kick their asses on Tuesday. I can feel it in my bones.
Most of you who know me know I’m not big on predictions. You know I prefer to wait and see. But that’s because I genuinely don’t know and am consequently unsure. This time I am not. I may be deluded, it may be wishful thinking, but I really do think we’re going to win this time.
Naturally this all depends on each and every one of you getting out and voting on Tuesday, if you haven’t already. Bring someone with you. Vote early so you can get out and knock doors or work the phones. Do whatever you can to help us win. In the end it all depends on each of us. And I believe in each of you. So let’s get out there and let’s win this one. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.
Robert Harrington is an American expat living in Britain. He is a portrait painter.