Good start, right direction. A lot left to do
Democrats should be smiling big today, in North Carolina and across the nation. They should be optimistic about 2020 and beyond.
Above all, there are now checks on Trump in Washington and Republicans in Raleigh. Trump now faces Speaker Pelosi, a Democratic House and investigative bloodhounds instead of toothless lapdogs. Governor Cooper has a real veto, and the Republicans’ two power-grab constitutional amendments failed.
Beating the amendments and breaking both super-majorities are huge wins for the Governor, his team and North Carolina Democrats. So is Anita Earls on the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court races. So is the fact that the two biggest and fastest-growing counties in the state, Wake and Mecklenburg, went all blue.
There are disappointments. Mack Paul’s loss to John Alexander is a loss for Wake and Franklin counties. Rachel Hunt’s apparent (but not final) narrow loss in Mecklenburg is a heartbreaker, not just because of my history with Governor Hunt but also because she would be an extraordinary leader.
Across the country, we saw the widening divide between two Americas. Trump’s America is rural, white, nationalistic and, yes, racist. Democrats’ America is urban, increasingly suburban, diverse, open and tolerant. That augers well for the future of Democrats. We’re growing where America is going. Trump’s America that is passing by, and now the Republican Party’s future is tied to him.
North Carolina remains closely divided along those lines. But we are moving away from the Solid South of Trump and in the same direction as Virginia.
In the Solid South, the big no-surprise was that elections still turn on race. But a black man (!) almost won in Florida, a black woman (!!) almost won in Georgia and an out-and-out liberal (!?) almost won in Texas. I put a question mark behind Beto O’Rourke because it’s not clear whether the outcome was about his appeal or the sheer lizardly loathsomeness of Ted Cruz.
Looking to 2020, it’s encouraging that Democrats did well in the Midwestern states where Trump narrowly won the Presidency in 2016. In 2020, the election will be all about Trump. That’s why Democrats should shelve impeachment. Let the people decide.
Lastly, let’s celebrate how far Democrats have come since the low point of 2010. They’ve been forced to rebuild and reorganize, and they’ve done it in the face of unconstitutional gerrymandering and voter-suppression efforts that are immoral, corrupt and maybe criminal.
The long years of battle have honed their skills, hardened their determination and fostered the emergence of a huge corps of volunteers, operatives, donors and candidates.
The future looks bright. Take some time to celebrate. Then get to work again. Let’s make America what it can be, should be and will be.
Good start, right direction. A lot left to do
Democrats should be smiling big today, in North Carolina and across the nation. They should be optimistic about 2020 and beyond.
Above all, there are now checks on Trump in Washington and Republicans in Raleigh. Trump now faces Speaker Pelosi, a Democratic House and investigative bloodhounds instead of toothless lapdogs. Governor Cooper has a real veto, and the Republicans’ two power-grab constitutional amendments failed.
Beating the amendments and breaking both super-majorities are huge wins for the Governor, his team and North Carolina Democrats. So is Anita Earls on the Supreme Court and the Appeals Court races. So is the fact that the two biggest and fastest-growing counties in the state, Wake and Mecklenburg, went all blue.
There are disappointments. Mack Paul’s loss to John Alexander is a loss for Wake and Franklin counties. Rachel Hunt’s apparent (but not final) narrow loss in Mecklenburg is a heartbreaker, not just because of my history with Governor Hunt but also because she would be an extraordinary leader.
Across the country, we saw the widening divide between two Americas. Trump’s America is rural, white, nationalistic and, yes, racist. Democrats’ America is urban, increasingly suburban, diverse, open and tolerant. That augers well for the future of Democrats. We’re growing where America is going. Trump’s America that is passing by, and now the Republican Party’s future is tied to him.
North Carolina remains closely divided along those lines. But we are moving away from the Solid South of Trump and in the same direction as Virginia.
In the Solid South, the big no-surprise was that elections still turn on race. But a black man (!) almost won in Florida, a black woman (!!) almost won in Georgia and an out-and-out liberal (!?) almost won in Texas. I put a question mark behind Beto O’Rourke because it’s not clear whether the outcome was about his appeal or the sheer lizardly loathsomeness of Ted Cruz.
Looking to 2020, it’s encouraging that Democrats did well in the Midwestern states where Trump narrowly won the Presidency in 2016. In 2020, the election will be all about Trump. That’s why Democrats should shelve impeachment. Let the people decide.
Lastly, let’s celebrate how far Democrats have come since the low point of 2010. They’ve been forced to rebuild and reorganize, and they’ve done it in the face of unconstitutional gerrymandering and voter-suppression efforts that are immoral, corrupt and maybe criminal.
The long years of battle have honed their skills, hardened their determination and fostered the emergence of a huge corps of volunteers, operatives, donors and candidates.
The future looks bright. Take some time to celebrate. Then get to work again. Let’s make America what it can be, should be and will be.