We are less than a month away from one of the most chaotic periods of time that the Democratic party has ever experienced. There were moments during those weeks when I was in despair, worried that we were heading over a cliff and handing the election to Trump by collapsing in on ourselves. We know what's at stake, and we know exactly what another Trump Presidency would look like. So do a majority of Americans, at least two thirds of them, if you really believe the polling data, who see him in an unfavorable light.
Going back to that would be the end of the American Republic. Government would no longer be empowered and accountable to the people. That is the consequence that will result from electing Trump and there aren't many people, including most of his followers, who aren't fully aware of it. And the weight of that pressure is what popped after Biden's debate performance. Everyone is genuinely worried about the possibilities.
Explaining What Has Happened Over the Past Month
It's not necessary to wait for some political commentator to put the facts together and explain what has transpired among Democrats during these weeks before the convention. The fact of the matter is that there was a collective unity not only among Democrats, but among a sizeable group of independents, third partiers, even moderate Republicans, who do have full awareness of, and fear of, a second Trump Presidency, and because of news media muddling and confusion, of not actually having solid control of the political narrative with a clear message, and the relentless parade of false information fed into the mix creating doubts about the President's ability to lead for a second term. His debate performance was the trigger for fear and panic.
What has transpired is a testimony to this President's political experience, and to his commitment to putting service to the people above his personal career and political ambitions. He's already reached the White House, a monumental achievement for anyone, and in this case, he put a stop to the abuse of the Presidency by Trump. His achievements in office were remarkable accomplishments that, in different circumstances, warranted a shot at a second term.
But his political experience also told him that the situation may have come to a point where it would be beyond his, and his campaign's, ability to control. Any doubt at all about the potential outcome of this coming election, and any weakness which might affect down ballot races, had to be considered a priority. The President did what he realized he needed to do to bring the kind of unity to the Democratic party that is necessary to win elections. He set his own ambition and traditional political thinking aside, and made a decision in a way that guaranteed the party's unity and the launching of an enthusiastic campaign to keep the Presidency in Democratic party hands and save American constitutional democracy.
Instead of opening the door to a free for all, he used his own political influence to back his Vice-President, Kamala Harris. In so doing, he made sure that the party would quickly coalesce around the one candidate who would not have to start from square one, and he prevented a free-for-all that would have taken far too much time away from necessary campaigning, from potential splintering and splitting of the party, and would have given Trump valuable weeks to solidify his own position.
This move united the Democratic party in a way that I have never seen it unite, even during a convention. And it cut Trump off and put him on the defensive almost immediately. The evidence of the devastating effect of this move on Trump's campaign is easily seen in the rhetoric coming from his tweets and statements, and the manner in which he has been conducting himself. He's lost all control, to the point where his filthy and disgusting rhetoric is embarrassing many of his fellow Republicans, those who haven't quite adjusted to his coarse, insolence, devoid of any realistic political strategy or plan. It's all name calling and false accusations, parroted by Vance, who doesn't seem to be capable of coherent communication.
His rhetoric has also done as much harm to the unity of the GOP as Harris' campaign has done good for the Democratic party. I've seen the list this week, in the Arizona Republic, of the in-state Republicans who are forming "Republicans for Harris" in that state. It includes former state cabinet members, members of the state legislature, several county supervisors, election board officials in Maricopa County and the mayor of the state's third largest, and most Republican city. It's a "Who's Who" among Arizona Republicans.
And that's not just happening in Arizona.
All of this is the result of President Biden's decision to put the needs of the country before his own career ambition. It was his decision. If he had not stepped down, he would have been the party nominee. And to be honest, I think there's enough fear of Trump out there that Biden stood a good chance of being re-elected, maybe with a Congress under Democratic control, but not certain. Nevertheless, the confidence level in the Democratic ticket is high, and voter enthusiasm is surging. And President Joe Biden is the one who is responsible for all of this taking place.
A Convention Launch Like No Other
What would normally be happening after an acceptance speech at a political convention is happening now. Harris and Walz are headed out for appearances in battleground states where they will engage enthusiastic crowds in packed arenas in front of news cameras in population centers where the television market reaches more than half of the voters in each of those states. I've always said that one of the big problems Democrats have in elections like this is controlling the narrative. Well, by golly, if today is any example of what we're in for over the next weeks and months, we've got control of it, and it is in the hands of candidates who know exactly how to communicate it to the very heart of the center of the electorate.
Look at what we've got on our ticket. Two real Americans, both from middle class roots, where they had to find their way by their own hard work and achievements into their chosen careers, working their way up without benefactors, but with the support and encouragement of their family members. A girl who grew up in a working class neighborhood of Berkeley, California, the daughter of immigrants who came to this country because of the hope and opportunity it offered, and a boy from a tiny town in Nebraska, a farm kid, also a hard worker whose career goal was to be, like his father, a teacher who earned the respect and admiration of his neighbors, and his students.
And then, I say, look at what they've got on their ticket, and decide for yourself who really represents America.
We've Been Given an Opportunity and Need to Take Full Advantage of it
We have a ticket that will have coattails. And this would be the place where I would say that this will be a turnout election and we need to vote in numbers we have never seen before. That should go without saying, though we have a younger generation that hasn't quite seemed to grasp the importance of going to those polls every time there is an election.
But, this time around, with an opponent who tested the waters of how to steal an election in both 2016 and 2020, and who has learned how to be more effective than he was in those two attempts, we also need to prepare, in advance, as thoroughly as possible, for the attempts to steal this one that we know are going to come. Whatever the worst case scenario might be, that's what we need to be ready to stop dead in its tracks. They're not even being all that secretive about what they're going to do. It's pretty clear a lot of people are aware of this, given Rachel Maddow's reporting and all of the renewed conversation about January 6th.
This is a constitutional Democracy in which the government derives its power to govern from the people. We must become involved at every level to prevent this election from being stolen from us by a proven fraudster, thief and con artist.
And on the positive side, there is also a lot we can do. Contribute. Volunteer. Make phone calls. Knock on doors. It's fun, really. And that's how elections are won. Our party has blessed us with the gift of candidates who know what they're doing and have a lot of success in serving the people who elected them. What has happened is nothing sort of miraculous, in any political sense of the word.
Oh my! I feel so much different today than I did three weeks ago.
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