I never want to forget this week

I haven't blogged about the coup attempt almost two weeks ago because I am still so horrified and outraged, I just can't even. I still seethe at the videos and I fully, passionately support the fullest prosecution of every damn person involved, all the way to the top. What else is there to be said?

I want to focus on better things in this blog. 

January 19, 2020 was a day of immersing myself in funny things, so I wouldn't feel so anxious about my worst fears coming true the next day. I celebrated that Disney+ has announced that all five seasons of ‘The Muppet Show’ will be available to stream on February 19th with an animated gif of Luke Skywalker and Miss Piggy and thanked Joe Biden for making it possible. I listened to the carpool karaoke of "One Day More" three times. I watched the Randy Rainbow goodbye even more. I laughed at other people's posts a LOT. Theater people were the stars that day with hilarious and glorious parody songs and videos, bless 'em. 

Of course, the day wasn't without one final outrage: the tweet from Mike Pompeo. One more slap in the face. One more reminder that fascism is still a threat. And the news that Los Angeles county had relaxed its air quality restrictions so they can do more cremations than they are usually allowed to do, because of all the people dying from COVID-19 - a reminder of just how deadly the last four years have been and how long we're going to pay for this nightmare.

At my staff meeting for one of my clients that day, my supervisor announced that the company was asking everyone NOT to schedule any meetings for Inauguration Day. I hadn't scheduled any social media posts, just as I hadn't for January 8th, both for fear of what might happen and because I knew no one would see them in the sea of messages about national events that would happen that day (yes, of course I knew something awful would happen on Jan. 8th, I just didn't realize the magnitude). 

I didn't think I would be able to sleep the night before the inauguration but, in fact, I did. Stress sleep. It's what I do. 

Wednesday morning, I got up at 5:30 a.m., as usual. I sat down on my usual place on the couch and turned on network TV, forgoing my usual viewing of BBC News. I sat there, watching the live coverage of the Capitol. And at one point, they showed the empty seats and platform for the inauguration, and I burst into sobs. Not tears - sobs. This was really happening. All of the Trump fascists, including the fascists in chief, were gone. They really, truly were gone. And Joe Biden was about to become President, a man who believes in science, someone far more patriotic and loving than me. 

It freaked Stefan out that I was so emotional, crying over a stage setup. What can I say - to me, what it represented - preparation for hope - was just completely overwhelming. 

On Facebook, I posted a link to Woody Guthrie singing "This Land is Your Land" and announced that I was opening sobbing and nothing had even happened yet. Turns out I wasn't alone. Thank you to everyone who jumped in the comments as we went through the day together. I just went back and read through the comments. I feel such a warmth flowing all through me as I read it. And how wonderful when, hours after that song first was on my mind that day, J Lo sang a bit of it. Oh, man, I so lost it in that moment, it was just perfect. That was the song of the day, as far as I'm concerned. 

Joe Biden wasn't my first, second nor third choice for President. But I can honestly say that this inauguration was so, so much more emotional for me than President Obama's. I think because, when Barack Obama became President, it just felt inevitable, even required, a continuation of the evolution of the country and its people. Like, "Hey, look at us, on the right track, going on our merry way to progress and goodness, because that's what we do! Wahoo, us! And we'll have a woman President in eight years!" But Biden's inauguration... we came so, so close to the horrifying alternative, and I couldn't stop thinking about that. Remember all my dire predictions regarding the Trump presidency and my stated fears and how I lost friends over my predictions and terror and outrage - and how I was right about pretty much EVERYTHING I predicted? Do you really want my list for what was coming had so many, many people not stayed absolutely resolute and dedicated and Stacy Abrams and everyone else not gotten out the vote? 

The last two days have far, far exceeded my expectations: all these Executive Orders reversing some of the biggest travesties of the previous administration, the firings of the heads of the VOA and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, taking the reigns off of Fauci... President Joe Biden has accomplished in two days what I expected to take a month or two. 

And I am feeling smug. I admit it. I laid out a plan at the start of the nonsense four years ago and it was inflexible and intolerant and I stuck to it and, by gosh, I AM PROUD OF IT. I still believe silence means approval. I still believe that you cannot "come together" with fascists. I'm still as angry at the people who voted for Gary Johnson or Jill Stein or wrote in Bernie for President or, even worse, didn't vote at all.  

But mostly, I'm focused on doing all I can to ensure that fascism never gets such a foothold in the White House - and rooting out what's in the Senate, the House, and state legislatures across this country. Mostly, I'm feeling hope. 

We did this. No matter what happens Nov. 6

When George W. Bush lost the popular vote but still became President, because the US Supreme Court prevented the vote recount in Florida, the outcry was barely a blip on the media radar. Millions were furious, but the press and even Al Gore said we needed to not protest, to, instead, just "come together" accept that a man the majority of voters did not vote for would be the leader of the USA. Anyone who continued to protest how the election was decided was branded a crank or un-American by the press and both parties. When the attacks on September 11, 2001 happened, criticizing the President became almost treasonous. When millions took to the streets to protest the second invasion of Iraq, the media downplayed the numbers and the fury, in order to not upset the President and lose their access. In 2004, when Bush won Ohio and Florida, again under mysterious circumstances and despite exit polls that said otherwise, any voiced opposition was, again, quickly dismissed as sore losers and unPatriotic.

What Republicans and the press didn't realize then is there was a great deal of resentment simmering under the perceived public quiet. We took that simmering resentment to the polls in 2008 in huge numbers and put Barack Obama in the White House for eight years, despite the gerrymandering, despite the voter suppression efforts.

In 2016, when Donald Trump lost the popular vote but still became President, and when a majority of Americans voted for Democrats in Congress but, because of gerrymandering, Republicans took both houses, something very different happened than in 2000: the majority didn't stay silent. Government and the media were taken aback when millions of women protested across the USA on or near January 21, 2017 to protest Donald Trump, the GOP and their attitudes and actions against women - in Portland, Oregon, there was a record-breaking number of people who took to the streets, and in protest-loving Portland, that's saying something. Government and media were shocked again when thousands of people spontaneously descended on airports across the USA to help Muslim visitors and Muslim green card holders who were suddenly in security limbo because of Trump's ban on Muslims.

The GOP and the mainstream media had anticipated and planned a different narrative. That's why NBC gave a morning TV show in 2017 to Fox News personality Megan Kelly, and ABC tried to revive the TV show Roseanne soon after - the media wanted to try to appeal to Trump supporters and expected the opposition to be silent. Networks were surprised when Kelly and Roseanne Barr's racism quickly surfaced, bias neither had ever tried to hide, and that the backlash was so very loud and swift that both shows were canceled.

All of this is a long-winded way of saying: your voice has made a difference. From individuals refusing to be silent at the Thanksgiving table as Uncle Racist spews his hate to attending public meetings with their elected officials in record numbers and being vocal about their demands to emailing and tweeting news outlets when they see attempts to sugar coat fascism to taking to the streets, you have kept the media on their toes and the Democratic Party leadership from compromising.

The resistance is real, it's made a difference, and individuals have fueled it - not George Soros, not the Democratic Party leadership, not official political groups and certainly not the media.

And you are exhausted. I know I am. I've been attending city council meetings and public meetings with state and local legislators, mostly just observing, listening to questions and comments, making sure extreme right-wingers aren't making any in-roads, making sure their rhetoric gets checked, and ready to throw a spotlight on anything that needs to be brought to everyone's attention, via social media - without an active, robust local press, we can't count on media coverage to keep an eye out. I've been registering voters, passing out League of Women Voters Oregon voter guides and trying to educate friends and neighbors about ballot measures. I've been attending debates by candidates for city and county offices. I've been trying to amplify media stories that my friends might have missed on social media. And I am so tired. And the thought of having to continue at this level, at 11, for another two years makes me want to give up.

So take a break on election day. And maybe the day of the election itself. Think about all that has been accomplished by individuals all across the USA who have refused to stay silent, who have protested in ways big and small. The media wouldn't be talking about the President lying if it wasn't for us. Late night talk show hosts wouldn't be talking about it either if it wasn't for us. The Democratic Party and Democrats in the Senate, the House and state legislatures all across the country wouldn't be resisting if it wasn't for us. We did this. Be proud of that, no matter what happens on November 6.

But also remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to take more than one election to solve. The first public meeting of the Nazi party was in February 1920, when Adolf Hitler issued a "25 Point Program" outlining the party's political agenda - an agenda that embodied racism. Hitler was appointed German Chancellor in January 1933. It took less than 13 years for Nazism, the most well-known form of fascism, to take over German society completely. The end of the war ended Nazi control of Germany in 1945. That means it took 10 years to defeat Hitler. It took many more years to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. Are you ready for the long haul?

Living the consequences of Nov 2016 elections, dreading Nov 2018

In December 2016, I was told, "It doesn't matter to the average person who is President. It doesn't really affect everyday people."

In response, I said parents would be ripped away from their children because of the election. I said people would start losing their health care and some would die as a consequence. I said public lands would start shrinking and environmental protections would be radically rolled back.

As I said in a blog back in 2016 after that night, that smirking person said:

I was being "alarmist" and "overly-dramatic" regarding Trump and his supporters, that it's not "that bad", that I should be more tolerant and caring regarding his supporters, some of whom are my neighbors, that they aren't "bad" people, that being polite and listening to them would be good for me...

My pushback against this person made observers uncomfortable. I ended up losing some people I considered friends because I dared to talk openly after that night about the horror show that quickly unfolded after January: the ban on Muslim immigrants, the canceling of green card status for people who have lived and worked here for many years, the scaling back of the affordable care act and the taking away of health care coverage from thousands (soon millions), the flat wages while prices rise, the layoffs of thousands of people and closing of businesses, the scaling back of public lands, the elimination of various environmental protections, the elimination of protections for home buyers and people with student debt, Nazis proudly marching in the streets of the USA, emboldened and empowered by the President, the President's open adoration of violent regimes (Russia, Saudi Arabia, North Korean, etc.), the separation of children and their families at the borders, the internment camps for immigrants, and, of course, the rich getting oh-so-richer while critically-needed safety net programs were eliminated.

So, yeah, I was right about the consequences of election night - in fact, I underestimated the consequences. But I take no pleasure in being right about it. None. I would have loved to have been wrong.

I didn't really think about then was how the Presidency would affect me, personally, so quickly: two much-needed jobs in the pipeline completely disappeared within weeks of the election because of anticipated federal budget cuts. Former clients have greatly scaled back because of federal cuts. We're holding our breath over a quickly-approaching green card renewal as we read horror stories of denials.

When I say elections are going to have dire consequences and affect real people, I'm not imagining things nor exaggerating. All of this affects real people, and if it hasn't affected you, then you are privileged.

It's not enough to vote in November - ask neighbors if they are registered. Ask them if they need a voter guide from the League of Women Voters (your state has them online). Ask them if they know where their polling place is. Ask your college-student sons and daughters' friends the same.

Also see Silence means approval

No, it wasn't about the economy

I see post-election ecstasy of some, mostly via social media, and in that shared online glee, there are no statements about protecting nor creating jobs, reducing drug prices, improving financial ethics, improving health care coverage for all Americans, promoting economic prosperity for ALL Americans, or preventing another global financial meltdown. There’s no mention of these things at all. Instead, I see constant cheers for vicious myths about Muslims and Mexicans, for insults regarding confident, intelligent political women, for comments and memes that make fun of the looks and ethnicity of our current President and First Lady and for bombing foreign lands.

So, yeah, pardon me if I don’t join in the belief that this was a vote by marginalized, forgotten people - because their own words say otherwise.

November 22 update: someone just sent me the link to this opinion piece and it is RIGHT ON:

As the aftermath of the election of Donald Trump is being sorted out, a common theme keeps cropping up from all sides: "Democrats failed to understand white, working-class, fly-over America." Trump supporters are saying this. Progressive pundits are saying this. Talking heads across all forms of the media are saying this. Even some Democratic leaders are saying this. It doesn’t matter how many people say it, it is complete bullshit.

And in addition:

Hillary Clinton has received more votes for President of the USA than any white man in history:

1992 Bill Clinton 44,909,806
1996 Bill Clinton 47,401,185
2000 Al Gore 50,999,897
2004 George Bush 62,040,610
2016 Hillary Clinton 63,715,574 (and counting)

January 7, 2017 update:

The data keeps showing, again and again, that Trump voters were NOT voting for the economy - they were voting for racism and sexism." A new paper by political scientists Brian Schaffner, Matthew MacWilliams, and Tatishe Nteta puts the blame back on the same factors people pointed to before the election: racism and sexism. And the research has a very telling chart to prove it, showing that voters’ measures of sexism and racism correlated much more closely with support for Trump than economic dissatisfaction... a bulk of support for Trump — perhaps what made him a contender to begin with — came from beliefs rooted in racism and sexism. Specifically, the researchers conclude that racism and sexism explain most of Trump’s enormous electoral advantage with non-college-educated white Americans, the group that arguably gave Trump the election." The paper is here. Shoutout to this Vox web site and this web site for bringing it to my attention.

For Bernie supporters, from a Bernie supporter

No, Bernie supporters, you do not have to vote for Hillary in November.

No one responds well to “You HAVE to vote for so-and-so.” As I mentioned on Facebook, when I caucused for Howard Dean in 2004, I had Kerry delegates smugly tell me how we Dean and Kucinich supporters would HAVE to vote for Kerry, how we were wasting our votes and wasting the time of the Democratic Party and giving a gift to the GOP by daring to not vote for the presumptive nominee. I was so angry at hearing it again and again that, when Dean dropped out, I toyed with not voting AT ALL - why would I vote for a man whose supporters think so little of me and MY values? I saw Clinton supporters doing the same as those Kerry supporters, especially in the last month, and it’s a shame, because all it does is drive potential supporters - VOTERS - away. I did vote for John Kerry that November, but many Dean and Kucinich did not, because Kerry spent his entire campaign trying to run down Bush and trying to deflect criticism of his own record; Kerry made no effort to appeal to those disenfranchised Dems, and the consequence was that he LOST to a wildly unpopular President. In 2008, many Hillary supporters talked repeatedly to the press about how they would NOT support Obama, so candidate Obama went out of his way to address the concerns of Hillary voters - and the result was that they voted for him in droves. It was NOT because Hillary said, "Vote Obama", it was because Obama worked to earn those votes. Hillary supporters - and Clinton herself - should take heed of this.

When Gore won the popular vote in 2000, but was robbed of the presidency by Florida and Ohio shenanigans, I blamed the GOP… and all those who voted for Ralph Nader. I wasn’t crazy at all about Al, for all the same reasons I’m not crazy about Hillary - but there was no question he was better than the Shrub, and the Supreme Court has always been enough of a reason for me to vote Democrat, so I was really bitter about Nader voters for not helping to stop George Bush. Plus, I don't think Nadar is qualified to run the country. But I changed my mind about Nader supporters a few months into 2001, as I read more and more about voter turnout and their points of view. Nader supporters voted their values and wanted to send a strong message to the Democratic Party - and I respect that, because that's what my country is about: voting your beliefs. If Al Gore, the Democratic Party candidate, didn’t appeal to them, that’s the candidate’s problem - no one else to blame. It’s up to the primary winner to work to unite the party - that’s part of his or her job. If she can’t do that, then how will she work with a divided Congress, like she keeps assuring us she can?

I am going to vote for Hillary Clinton in November, even though I’m frightened of what her foreign policy will be and have no idea where she stands on so many issues - she went from pro-Palestinian to staunchly pro-Israel, she was for the China trade deal before she was against it (though I’m hearing hints that she’s for it again), she never championed raising the minimum wage but now, ta da, is talking about it (though in TINY increments), she was so pro Gun the first time she ran for President that candidate Obama said she sounded like “Annie Oakley” (look it up!), she pushed HARD for fracking in Europe while secretary of state (much to the anger of Europeans, who do NOT want it) but now claims environmentalist credentials, she was staunchly against gay marriage and then, after every other Dem was for it, changed her mind at last - but denied she ever changed her mind - and on and on.  Her comments regarding Nancy Reagan and AIDS were horrific and shameful, and her reasons offered as to why she did so were nonsensical. Looking at her record as Senator and Sec of State, she’s hawkish and pro-corporation and pro-banks, even those that almost bankrupted our country, and she has given workers rights and consumer rights only ocassional lip service - she has no strong track record on their behalf. Pressure from Sanders supporters compelled her to change her healthcare stance and suggest an early buy-in for Medicare, but once elected, I suspect she’ll abandon that stance. I fear for those of you with family members in the military while she’s President - we're invading somewhere (Syria? Libya? Somewhere new?). And I greatly fear for our economy, as she has made it clear she’s a staunch friend of the banks and institutions that almost brought down our economy a few years ago - and feels their support is more important than championing the working class. Gads, Clinton wore a jacket worth $12,495 during a speech on income inequality! Her actions and words show her incredibly out-of-touch with most people in the USA. It's heart-breaking.

I used to feel very differently about Hillary Clinton. When I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992, my vote was as much for her as for him. She then had a long track record for action and for speaking out about children’s rights, and was lauded for her legal work regarding children’s law. When Bill was President, conservatives said her work usurped traditional parental authority - and she just scoffed at them. I remember her going off script during a 1998 talk with Israeli and Palestinian teens meeting as part of the organization Seeds of Peace. I remember the controversy when she referred to “Palestine”. She was asked by someone at the meeting why she referred to a country that doesn’t exist, and she said: “I think that it will be in the long-term interest of the Middle East for Palestine to be a state, to be a state that is responsible for its citizens’ well-being, a state that has responsibility for providing education and health care and economic opportunity to its citizens.” The next year, she attended a speech at which Suha Arafat, the wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and afterward, Clinton kissed Suha on the cheek, as is customary in the region - and Republicans lost their minds. Oh, yeah, THAT Hillary Clinton was *awesome*. She was her own person. I wanted to vote for THAT Hillary Clinton when she ran for President someday. But, unfortunately, that Hillary Clinton went away the moment she started running for the Senate, and I haven’t seen her since.

But I will vote for her in November, because I do know she will very likely appoint pro-choice candidates to the Supreme Court. An anti-choice candidate on the Supreme Court will be disastrous beyond measure. It will affect women you love in your life, women you work with - oh so many women in your life. The misery will be horrific. That’s why I’ll vote for Hillary Clinton in November. I just cannot sit by and let more anti-choice judges get appointed. I care about your daughters too much, folks.

Despite my problems with her track record and lack of action on so many critical issues, I also believe she is qualified to be President, that she has the capability to do the job.

I also know that Hillary Clinton will respond to the results of the mid-term elections - so that’s on us, Bernie supporters, to make sure those go Democrat - and our kind of Democrat, the one that is focused on our core party principles, on what’s best for the majority of people, not just the top 1%. We Sanders supporters have drastically affected Hillary Clinton's campaign for President. Let’s keep that pressure on and drastically affect her time as President, for the better. She will work to represent us only if we continue the pressure on her to do so.

I’ve said I will vote for Hillary Clinton in November, and why - but my reason is not enough for millions of other Sanders supporters. If Hillary Clinton wants to win, she needs to unite the Democrats - that’s her job, not Bernie’s. She needs to detail her capabilities and her VALUES and her GOALS. You were Secretary of State, but what did you accomplish as such? You were great defending yourself regarding those Benghazi allegations - but what did you do that brought the USA big benefits, that made USAID more effective, that made the world a better place? Bernie energized the party with plans to make attending public universities affordable again, to stop the unreasonable burdens of student debt, to make health care truly universal, to help working families, to make the 1 percent pay their fair of taxes - heck, to return us to the higher tax rates of the Reagan era! - so what are you going to offer those Democrats so they know you represent all tax brackets and classes? Show us your values, in practice, because many of us just do NOT know what they are - there’s just so many, many contradictions in your actions and words since you left the White House as First Lady. Talk explicitly about how you will be different as President than your husband. Which policies of the Bill Clinton administration does Hillary Clinton still endorse, and which does she NOT? I’d rather hear how you are going to be like OBAMA than like Bill! We do NOT want Bill Clinton II! And be honest about how you’ve changed your positions - because you HAVE — and why. I can respect a candidate that disagrees with me - I disagreed with Bernie on guns, among other issues. I can respect a candidate that changes, that evolves. But I can’t respect denial - so drop that immediately, Candidate Clinton. Own your actions.

I have just criticized Hillary, in detail, for her job and candidacy performance. Not her makeup, not her hair, not her voice, not her physical shape, not her gender. And I have been JUST as hard on past Secretaries of State, male and female. So any of you that accuse me of not being a “real” feminist for my lukewarm support Hillary Clinton: bite my ass and unfriend me. I'm so tired of seeing people accused of sexism because they criticized Clinton's job performance or supported Bernie instead.

It will be nice to have a woman President in the USA, of course, and I'll celebrate that. I would have said something quite similar if Colin Powell had become the first black USA President, even though he's a Republican and I wouldn't have voted for him. I loathed Condoleezza Rice, but still found huge delight in watching a black American woman treated with such deference by deeply sexist, racist regimes. A female presidency is a cultural breakthrough, one that's long overdue, and it's worth celebrating by everyone.

Fellow Sanders supporters, we also have something more to celebrate: WE are the future of the Democratic Party. Look at the ages of Bernie supporters, look at the demographic trends of all voters. Despite the work of the Democratic leadership to stop it, despite the media coverage being mostly mocking and dismissive, Sanders did far, far better, with far, far less money than Clinton, than anyone every dreamed. His message resonated - even with Republicans. If the Dem party leadership continues to ignore us, the Dems are doomed, and Clinton will be their last Presidency for a long while. If Clinton supporters continue to say things like "Bern extinguished!", then the Democratic Party is dead - I'll bring the shovel.

Bernie supporters, if you don’t vote for Hillary, I hope you will vote for *someone* - but not Trump. There's candidates from the Green Party, the Socialist Party - probably even Prohibition (there usually is). Every state is different in terms of it is allowing on its ballot in November. By voting for someone - not Trump, please - your vote will be seen. If you don’t vote, you aren’t seen, and you are written off as not caring and not worth reaching - if you have doubt of that, look at the Kentucky Governor’s race from 2015, when a fraction of the population chose the government, and only a bit more voted at all. If everyone who is disappointed in the GOP and Dem candidates for President would vote for someone  - but not Trump - as a protest vote, it would have a huge impact on how the two big parties respond - because they would know you exist and want your vote and work for it. There are many millions of Sanders supporters - don't disappear at the polls! Secondly, get on the mailing list for the local Democratic Party and go to meetings a few times a year, let your voice be heard, maybe even become a delegate or a precinct captain yourself (I intend to do the latter). That’s the only way to vote OUT people like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Alison Lundergan Grimes that are currently in Democratic Party leadership positions - they are COUNTING on your apathy or anger to keep you from participating, and to keep them in those positions, so they can keep the Democratic Party the way it is. They need to GO. There’s a mid-term election in two years - let’s dominate it.

I hope Hillary Clinton, as nominee and, eventually, as President, surprises me, as President Obama has surprised me. I wasn’t at all googly eyed when he was elected, and I found his aloofness for his first four years disturbing - and I believe it contributed to the loss of the House to the GOP, and a closer race in 2012 than should have been. But his accomplishments over eight years are jaw-dropping, and now I’m a blathering idiot fan. Make me a blathering idiot fan, Hillary. At least make me respect you as much as I respect Angela Merkel, whom I loathed in the years before she became Chancellor of Germany - she's surprised me so much with her daring decisions that have put human rights first.

I keep hearing Clinton supporters say, "It's time to get behind our nominee!" Right now, the most you will get from me is my vote and this blog saying why I'll be voting for her. If you want more, you'll have to earn it.

Hillary Clinton, you’ve got a lot of work to do to win over several million Democrats. And I'm open to your overtures. But such support is up to you - not Bernie Sanders. And I mean it in all sincerity that I hope you do it. We'll be watching and listening. And if you work to address our very serious, real concerns, you'll earn a lot more votes than by trying to appeal to disaffected Republicans.

Update many hours after I wrote this: Is there an echo in here, New York Times? Hillary Clinton’s Triumph, and Burden: "Unless she makes a substantial effort to win them over, they might stay home, and low turnout historically helps Republicans."