Biden’s In – So What’s Next?

- by Steve Garone, Member, Wayland Democratic Town Committee

NOTE: Views expressed in this blog are those of the author, and not necessarily those of any other WDTC members.

 

This blog is one of a series to be published by members of the Wayland Democratic Town Committees and guest contributors.

 

As Democrats, we couldn’t be happier now that the top of the ticket – Joe Biden and Kamala Harris – have won their elections. Their victory, and their presence on the airwaves, have caused us to express a collective “sigh of relief” after four years of assault on our values and our democracy.

We also know, of course, that there is still a great deal of work to be done resulting from some stark realities:

• At the time of this writing, Trump had over 71 million votes. He lost the election, but he maintains a strong following that will continue to have an effect on how current officeholders and future candidates behave.

• Democrats lost ground in the House of Representatives, but perhaps more importantly, Senate candidates who stuck to Trump’s coattails – most of whom won their reelections – had their strategy affirmed. It’s not likely that they will walk away from Trumpism anytime soon.

• Trump’s approach to the transition, and to the election itself, demonstrates a continued, blatant disregard for norms and what is right, and also provides a blueprint for this activities post-January 20th. He will keep his supporters fired up and engaged, which will reinforce the pressure on Republican officeholders to continue their obstructionism.

Therefore, we Democrats need to accompany our post-election “glow” with some serious planning and work both short term and longer term.

First, we need to do everything in our power to help elect Jon Rosoff and Reverend Rafael Warnock to the U.S. Senate. Our margin in the Senate would be as marginal as possible if they do, but without them Mitch McConnell will be free once again to obstruct anything that the Biden administration wants to pass.

If you are interested in helping their campaigns, the following are some options to consider. Since the runoff elections for these two seats is scheduled for January 5th, a commitment is time critical:

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Fair Fight (the organization founded by Stacey Abrams): https://www.fairfight.com

 

Swing Left:  https://swingleft.org/p/flip-georgia

 

Mobilize:  https://www.mobilize.us/georgiademocrats/event/362919/

 

Jon Ossoff’s Website: https://www.electjon.com

 

Reverend Raphael Warnock’s Website: https://www.warnockforgeorgia.com

 

Finally, having lost some ground in the House of Representatives, we Democrats need to be vigilant in working to make sure we hold on our majority there in 2022. Elections are a bit less than two years away, but between now and then it will be important for Democrats to create messaging that optimizes their ability to win over voters in specific districts and, of course, to do the hard work of supporting the campaigns of our candidates here and across the country. A successful two years for the Biden administration will of course be critically important, placing even more emphasis on the Georgia elections in January.

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