It Was the Best of Days, It Was the Worst of Days

From the Miracle in Georgia to the Travesty in the Capitol

Tuesday Night – Wednesday Night

Well, we certainly saw the best of America and the worst of it within 24 hours, didn’t we? It was a lot to absorb either event. Having both within about 24 hours induced political and emotional whip lash. So much to celebrate, so much to mourn. So much to learn.

Georgia

What a shame. This spectacular political wizardry was quickly eclipsed by the obscenity on the Capitol. For this trulywas a spectacular act of political will, skill, and determination. Someone else said it best. This was a brilliant political strategy, carried out over years by a Black woman.

It resulted in a Black Man and a Jew being elected as US Senators from Georgia. Who would have ever imagined such a thing? Those of us who sent money, wrote letters, etc. did so thinking the odds were unimaginable. But we needed a Hail Mary play. Son of a gun – we got one.

There is a lot to absorb in the Georgia story. It felt familiar to me. Some 25 years ago, we moved to Virginia, a red state with a few islands of blue. Over two decades, we worked it hard. Demographics changes, good candidates were recruited, off year work was done between elections. The state went from red to purple. By the time we left, it was solidly blue.

The Three Musketeers

Georgia cannot be taken for granted, but it feels like it is about 50-70% of the way along that same journey. Demographics here too are changing. People at the margins have risen up and will not go away. Black voters, young voters, Asian Americans and Latinex voters now know they have a voice. White voters who in the same philosophical base are with them and also will not go back. The course is laid. A sustained change is not in the bag but is doable.

I said before this election that if both seats were won, Tracy Abrams should be recruited to be the new head of the National Democratic Party. She should be charged with building her model everywhere. If she does not want that job, she should have about any damn job she wants. I stand by that position.

Abrams understands that building a victory like this requires remarkable work at the lowest to the highest level. It is work for years on end. Just showing up at election time will not do it. You know it is working when you start getting city council and county commission wins as well. The Green Parties in Europe generally got this early on and are now real players. They started local and paid their dues. When they got into national elections, they were ready.

Warnock and Ossoff are very different fellows, but both bring a lot to the table. I suspect they will be something of a Butch and Sundance pair going forward, which bodes well. Ossoff is interesting in that he was not that great a candidate the first time out. He is now a political killing machine now. I almost (almost, I said) felt sorry for Purdue in their one debate. Ossoff is the man who wins a gun fight.

Warnock won his first ever political race. He never looked like a first-time candidate. The man will do well at this, I do believe. Now Georgia, on to the next governor’s race, other state-wide races, and the state legislature. Clean house.

The US Capitol

Where to begin? Some of us have seen this kind of thing up close overseas. None of us imagined we would ever see it here. But here it was – here it still is. Some good news out of all the terribleness.

They failed to do what they sought. In fact, they secured the opposite. Loss of life and injuries were less than might have been expected. To its credit, Congress refused to go home until they got the job done. There were some speeches for the history books throughout the day and the night.

Trump finally broke the fever. Only the rabid will follow him or even respond to him now.

But the bad news was overwhelming. Security was a complete and utter failure. Individual officers did their best, under great risk and pressure. But the leadership was either coopted or incompetent, or both. The set up and preparation was wrong on so many levels. Heads must indeed roll, and hard-nosed investigations conducted, right now. I shudder to think about an inauguration in less than two weeks with this security apparatus. I have real concerns.

Eighty arrests are a joke. Let’s take the time and effort to examine the tapes, the messaging, etc. and find these people. Serious prison time is in order for a lot of people.

For me, there is special anger for those who encouraged all this and who turned a blind eye for four years. They own this, bloodshed and all.

May a special hell await Senators Cruz and Hawley, and thier few followers. Same for Representatives Jordon and Gohmert, and their hangers-on. I will not rest easy until the Sedition Caucus is run out of office. Those who are lawyers, including Giuliani, must be disbarred. They made a mockery of the constitution and the rule of law. There is talk of not sitting some of these in Congress. Got my vote.

The Near Future

There is talk of taking Trump out now by the 25th Amendment. This would be in part to transmit clearly this is unacceptable, in part to ensure he never runs again. Unlikely to happen, but we can hope. It needs to be done. This guy is criminally insane and is emotionally unable to serve as president. This is what Part Four of the amendment is madeto address. Impeachment seems undoable at this point, but no harm in pushing that rock up the hill a bit.

We should be incredibly angry and stay that way. All those who voted to not convict Trump in the impeachment trial, with no witnesses and no new evidence? They own this as much as Trump. We will not forget.

The Biden era is looking like a good thing, eh? Bring it on.

      Bill Clontz

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