Election Night Thread

[gabrielle]

Wanted to share what an alderwoman of St. Louis, my hometown, posted on facebook. 

Quote:There is no doubt that there is much fear, anxiety, and blame that is taking place after last night’s results. The unexpected happened. We lost the Presidency, we lost the House, we lost the Senate, and as a result, we lost the Supreme Court. Republican supermajorities took hold in states all across the country, including our own, promising us a future that leaves workers, minorities, immigrants, and women behind. We have no one to blame but the Democratic Party. We failed, and from this the Party must look inward, recognize the failure, and build a New Democratic Party; one that is actually democratic.

For the last 7 years we have been in the midst of a gradual populist uprising that we have been too blind to admit. From the rise of Occupy, the Fight for $15, and Black Lives Matter on the left, to the rise of white nationalist and militia movements on the right, people have been screaming that they feel our government has not been working for them, but we did not listen. Both the Republican and Democratic parties saw a rebellion take place within their own ranks. While the Republican rebellion was successful, the Democratic rebellion was quelled, without seeking to learn from its near success.

Economic anxiety was the issue of the election, and the cure was either authoritarianism or socialism. This election was not so much about issues as it was about cultivating confidence in a system that has left so many behind. This election was not a repudiation of progressive values; it was about a repudiation of the status quo. The Democratic Party failed to be the party that ushered in the New Deal and Great Society. We failed to be the party of “hope” and “change.” In this failure, we have chosen a future that will continue to choose corporate welfare over the welfare of the people.

As a party, we were more concerned with protecting our own people who had done their time and stood in line then protecting the American people who feel they are out of time.

We come hat in hand to the African American Community, but what have we done for them lately?

We come hat in hand to the Hispanic Community, but what have we done for them lately?

We come hat in hand to millennials, but what have we done for them lately?

We come hat in hand to women, but what have we done for them lately?

We come hat in hand to the working class, but what have we done for them lately?

Each of these groups did not come out in the force that we needed them to. They didn’t have our back because we haven’t had theirs. There have been a few brave people within the ranks of the Democratic Party who have dared called this out, only to be told to get in line, that questioning the Party only weakens the Party and will make it easier for the Republicans to win.

No. Refusing to look inward, to recognize our faults, to cut our liabilities, and to have the trust of the American people is what weakened the party. Refusing to really listen to our so-called black, and brown, and female, and millennial, and working-class coalition, weakened the party. Using the same old bag of tricks in an election cycle that was anything but ordinary, weakened the party. Saying we know better than the ordinary people we are supposed to represent weakened the party.

There is no one to blame but ourselves. The Democratic Party as we know it must be dismantled. We must clean house and from the ashes build a new party that actually stands for ordinary people.

Today we rest, we mourn, we cry. Tomorrow we fight, we rebuild, we organize. This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning. For love of country, for love of people, we all must fight.

https://www.facebook.com/meganellyia.gre...5462378564