DEMOCRACY KNOWS NO PARTY
“Democracy knows no party … it separates us from tyranny.” - Adam Kinzinger
“We have so much more in common than our differences." - Kamala Harris
Truly, my friends, wee are living in a time none of us have ever seen before; we are in the midst of a revolution unlike any ever seen in the history of democracy anywhere.
Thirty-one days ago, I was doing my best to turn in an Oscar-worth performance of Act As If. Seeing what was happening over the previous month, I was having a hard time believing we would defeat Trump. I even asked my British editor if my British publisher would help their leading author to relocate out of this country.
I argued against making a change in candidate because I had lived through the last time a president withdrew from a re-election campaign, and I had seen the Democratic Party tear itself apart, leaving victory to the candidate whose time in office set us on the largely-downward course we have been on for the past 56 years. I didn’t see how we could avoid that.
And then the presidential withdrawal came. I sat here thinking “What do we do now?”
And 30 minutes later Joe Biden announced his support for Kamala Harris to succeed him as the nominee.
And the world changed.
I’d supported Kamala in 2020, and I hoped that 2024 would be her time, as that year hadn’t, but I didn’t have anything but hope at that point.
In 48 hours, Kamala had gained the near-universal support of party leaders. Amazing!
Do you realize it’s only been less than three weeks since you didn’t know who Tim Walz was?
The Harris-Walz campaign has raised $500 million in less than 30 days, Reuters reported last Tuesday. The campaign previously said it took in $310 million in July, including $200 million in the first week after she entered the race following President Joe Biden’s July 21 withdrawal. And the campaign thinks they can make it $600 million before the end of August.
House Democrats are also raking in money, bringing their cash on hand to nearly $92 million after they took in close to $17.6 million in July.
Meanwhile, Trump raised $47.5 million in July, while spending $24.3 million and bringing his cash-on-hand total to $151.3 million, while Harris reported close to $220 million on hand.
All of this was inconceivable 32 days ago.
On Tuesday night, I wasn’t going to watch the state roll call, one of the great Cheesy Events of American politics, but while I was fast-forwarding through it, the DVR stopped and it came on. I watched for a minute and then hit rewind and watched the whole thing. Was it cheesy? Yes, but this time it was also educational.
The thing that occurred to me while watching was how much the Democratic Party has changed in the 21st century. By estimate, 50% of the delegates at the 2024 convention are black or Hispanic. The comparison is particularly stark when looking at the Republican convention, where white people overwhelmingly dominated.
It’s a look I like.
Tuesday night, Barack Obama said, “As much as any policy or program, I believe that’s what we yearn for – a return to an America where we work together and look out for each other. A restoration of what Lincoln called, on the eve of civil war, “our bonds of affection.” An America that taps what he called “the better angels of our nature.” That’s what this election is about. And I believe that’s why, if we each do our part over the next 77 days – if we knock on doors and make phone calls and talk to our friends and listen to our neighbors – if we work like we’ve never worked before – we will elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States, and Tim Walz as the next Vice President of the United States. We’ll elect leaders up and down the ballot who will fight for the hopeful, forward-looking America we believe in. And together, we too will build a country that is more secure and more just, more equal and more free.”
Watching these past four days, seeing the Democratic Party I’ve always hoped to see appear before my eyes, I really believe it’s true.
Yes, we can.
Someone posted this in a Substack discussion page a few days ago:
AMERICAN GREATNESS
American greatness isn’t something you can buy.
Something you can demand.
Or that one man can give you.
American greatness is earned.
It doesn’t look a certain way.
Or worship in a certain church.
Greatness is in all of us.
In every American heart.
It’s always been here.
Through the work and pain and struggle.
To earn the gift so many died for.
American greatness is the gift we all share.
Greatness is in all of us.
You don’t need someone to make you great.
You’re an American.
Greatness was in you all along.
“We are the heirs to the greatest democracy, in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment. It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done.
“Guided by optimism and faith, to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth.
“The privilege and pride of being an American.”
I haven't felt this patriotically good about America for a very long time. The last three weeks have changed everything that was dark into the promise of goodness and light...freedom, not tyranny. Now we must redouble our efforts to get a Democratic turnout in numbers so overwhelming that no Republican 2020 election denying officials can dispute the results. As Michelle Obama said, we must Do Something!
Everything about the DNC convention these last four days has been thrilling and uplifting. There were moments of greatness in speeches and of emotion, as when Gus Walz, weeping with pride (and because he's a neurodivergent person), called out, "That's my dad!" I DVRd every day and will save the recordings.
Bases loaded tie game home run Tom, I particularly liked your closing. I may have to watch the roll call, I had no intention of watching it, I’ve been thrilled with the speeches. I gave up on trying to take notes on them, every sentence was worth a note, sometimes my mind would wander tripped up by something they said, so I just rewound a bit to where I was fully attentive. Wow, I listened closely to people I had never paid much attention too, and did I ever learn something, the depth of love for our nation is truly inspiring. The joy is going to carry us through the election and beyond, I think we have participated in and witnessed the birth of a world changing event. If we can unite this nation as patriots the world will want to emulate us, people will demand it of their leaders. As Steve Kerr suggested, if we can unite 333 million of us we will become the most powerful nation in history, with the power to do unlimited good for all mankind. People will be thanking us for generations if we pull this off, and I believe we can. I’m now starting to regret my soon to be 78 years, what’s about to happen has the potential to be as wonderful as maned flight was a little more than a hundred years ago, and then we put men on the moon. On that happy note good night all 🙏