What Hope Do We Have?

The Opposition Party

I was just listening to political strategist James Carville, and he didn’t mince words: right now, we have no power. We’ve lost control of the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches, and that makes us now officially the “opposition party.”

Hope for a Better Life

I don’t want to spend more time in the sour grapes blame game rehashing why we lost. That’s a complicated conversation with many factors. Exit polls from voters in economically struggling swing states clearly and continually express concerns about the economy, inflation, food and housing costs and the working man’s quality of life as our economic division widens. They thought that Trump, with his lofty promises, offered more hope for change. I believe they were misled and betrayed by a long term disinformation campaign, fueled and strategized by a foreign enemy power. Let’s learn from any oversights or omissions, and look forward and focus on solutions—especially as the new administration takes shape.

Support Democracy

Just like in 2016, the Democratic Party, with all of its imperfections, is our only hope at this point, so I will keep firmly supporting them. First, we still have politically and economically strong blue states with influential leaders—places like New York, California, and Colorado. These states can still serve as powerful centers for women’s and civil rights, progressive policy and advocacy.

The Voice of the People

We also have our voices, and we need to use them. Let’s hold GOP representatives accountable—many of them want to stay in office, and public pressure matters. We can push them to support policies that benefit people, protect civil liberties, address climate change, and avoid actions that harm our international relations or restrict our trade. It’s critical we keep pressure on them to protect the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, and civil rights. In red states, we can keep up the same tactics we’ve used before: phone calls, emails, and tools like the text-to-letter Resistbot.

Some Remaining Free Press

For now, we still have a some remaining free press and for better or worse, social media. Let’s use it while we can. Personally, I’ve chosen to support fact based journalism and avoid sources that I feel don’t provide a balanced view. I’ve stopped using and deleted propaganda platforms like Twitter, Fox and Newsmax any outlets that promote disinformation that are often are run by Billionaires with nefarious motives.

Support Advocacy Organizations

Let’s also continue to support organizations that align with our values. Places like Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are crucial. We can also back progressive candidates and representatives in every way we can.

The People’s March

Peaceful protest remains an option for the time being, too. There’s the People’s March on January 18th in Washington, D.C., and other events in major cities. These gatherings can be powerful displays of solidarity and resistance.

2026 and 2028 Elections

Our electoral process is still intact, and if we work to safeguard it—with paper ballots, bipartisan oversight, and public engagement—things could shift as early as 2026. Lower courts still include some ethical justices, and we still have the rule of law on our side, even if the Supreme Court has made some decisions like the Immunity ruling, that undermined our Constitution’s very principles of checks and balances. Our Constitution clearly holds the president accountable and does not grant immunity. I believe that to grant Trump immunity was essentially the crowning of a king, and against our framer’s intention.

Filibuster

Even though we have the minority, most bills require 60 votes/% to pass the senate. We still have the filibuster which can be used to block the worst bills from becoming law. James Carville encourages us not to lose heart. We can still work for bipartisan progress, but this isn’t the time to placate and accept harmful policies for the sake of unity.

We also need to stay vigilant. If the current administration follows through on initiatives like Project 2025, we could see efforts to push an agenda that threatens our civil liberties and rights. They’ve made their intentions clear, and we should take them seriously-literally trying to create a women oppressed fascist theocracy here; this is not a joke or a dream. I encourage everyone to read up on the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

Please everyone, don’t lose heart or hope. It’s time for action now, we are beyond the time for “thoughts and prayers” as a social change method, is it not the time to ignore or escape. However- self care, hope and joy to stay strong are essential. Please offer strength and hope to your children, and offer resiliency over fear. It’s time again to soberly and effectively “fight, fight, fight”—for our future, our children’s future, and the planet’s future.

What other hope, power and strength do we have?

Please see: My Manifesto for Despairing Democrats https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/06/opinion/trump-democrats-loss.html

James Carville Why We Lost

#notheocracy #separatechurchandstate #noGilead #project2025 #hope #nevergiveup

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