A REFLECTION ON AN ELECTION
We've all heard the pundits call some states "Red States" and others "Blue States." If your state doesn't fit one of these labels, you must be in a "Swing State."
But today we look at the election results and wonder ... where did the Red States go? Some states “changed color.” How can this be?
A message to rural America
Why is it so hard to be a Democrat in a rural county? Why are Democrats you know afraid to even say they’re Democrats? Why are you a Democrat?
Being a Democrat is about wanting to make things better, your community, your state, and your nation. Our identity is what we believe. Our identity is about who we are, why we got into this in first place.
Jim Purvis, the author and founder of Democrats 101, explains that "Our identity is powerful because it’s American. Our core beliefs come straight from the Declaration of Independence.
But, that powerful identity doesn’t exist until we make it exist. That, is why the Democratic Creed exists. That is why the specific definitions of Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity exist. That is why the book, Democrats 101, was written. To take back our identity. To make Democrats proud again.
Change
Nothing is going to change in this country until we have a clear, fundamental statement of values. That means a statement that is written down and acknowledged by everyone, even those with hate in their heart. That clear statement has to define who we are, not just as Democrats, but as Americans, what we aspire to as a nation. And that clear statement has to originate inside our party. There is no one else.
Making that statement means accepting that we are more than just a political party, that our purpose is far bigger than just the next election. It means accepting that we have a moral imperative: to create a just society … as long as it takes.
None of this starts in Washington. None of this happens from the top down. This starts with the grassroots of the Democratic Party. This starts with you, the county parties and Indivisibles and all the other activist out there. Because there is no one else.