THE foundation

A vast struggle is underway to redefine what it means to be an American — a struggle that will shape our nation’s future.

One side understands that political power begins with emotional identity: whoever defines “American” defines who belongs, who leads, and what the nation stands for. So far, we Democrats have not. We have treated politics as a fight over issues, programs, and elections, while neglecting the deeper battle to define who we are, what we believe, the kind of nation we are trying to build.

The result is drift: our candidates pulling in different directions, our volunteers struggling to explain what Democrats stand for. Voters hear policies, but not a larger purpose. They do not sense something they want to belong to.

Democrats 101 exists to change that.

Our mission is to establish the Democratic Party as the champion of the basic American values set forth in the Declaration of Independence, values reaffirmed by Abraham Lincoln, and put into practice by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

These are the values that have driven social, economic, and political progress in this country for 250 years. Reclaiming them will not only strengthen Democrats. It will help secure the nation we believe in.

Our party was founded the day Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected in 1932. But our true origin goes back to the day Thomas Jefferson sat down and wrote the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” That was the moment the true soul of our party was born, because that was the moment the true soul of our nation was born: the American dream of a just society, the revolutionary idea that all people are created equal.

This is a movement: a long-term grassroots struggle to reclaim our identity as Democrats by reclaiming our identity as Americans.

The two cannot be separated. Identity is not a slogan or a campaign theme. It is what tells people who belongs, what matters, and what kind of country we are fighting for.

For too long, we have allowed others to define us, define America, and define the future — and we have paid a very dear price.

We cannot keep fighting issue by issue while losing the larger battle over identity — not if we want to create that just society.

This struggle will shape not just the coming election, but every election for generations to come. More than that, it is about our nation’s future: whether the American story people will tell is defined by fear, division, and resentment, or by freedom, justice, and opportunity for all.

This core identity — this permanent identity — is the foundation for everything else.