Where Do We Go From Here
It's Jimmy V Time in DC And In Our Country
Midday Nov. 6 I texted a friend: “It’s a Jimmy V kind of day.”
A few hours later, he texted me NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano’s famous mantra — “don’t give up, don’t ever give up” — which happened to be embedded in the address Vice President Harris gave at Howard University on Wednesday:
“The important thing is don't ever give up. Don't ever give up. Don't ever stop trying to make the world a better place…This is not a time to throw up our hands. This is a time to roll up our sleeves.”
I have some experience with difficult election losses. I agree with Harris that we need to keep our eyes on the prize, but we also need to take time to acknowledge and process the loss. I know for some, the results were shocking and unexpected. Even for those who talked to voters in Pennsylvania and saw Trump’s support firsthand, it is devastating. We knew the margin-of-error polling was likely accurate, but I, for one, hoped that it was so close that an elevated vote from working-class women and an impressive GOTV ground game would push Harris to victory.
I was very wrong.
It’s OK to not be OK right now. It’s OK to be upset, to be disappointed, to be worried. But don’t stay angry; believe me on this one. Spend time with family and friends who energize you. Get outside and move. Listen to Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction (ok, maybe just me).
One of the last things I remember saying to Haley, Noah, and Deborah last Sunday night after spending the day in Shippensburg, PA, was that if Tuesday’s outcome is not what we want, we’ve got a jump start on IDing our fellow Jedi warriors for the battle ahead. That said, I want to thank the amazing 67 people on this email list who schlepped in our Kamala carpools to PA—some multiple times—and phone banked at Brookland’s Finest. Many more of you carpooled on your own, took the DNC buses to PA, and made phone calls in organized phone banks or in your own home.
Our efforts, especially those day-long treks to York, Cumberland, and Franklin counties, were not a loss. I can identify three enduring wins from these trips:
We pumped up and energized Harris/Walz supporters who often felt isolated and like they were fighting the good fight on their own. Unlike PA voters Michael or Richard, I could still talk to my brother during this election. They couldn’t, because every conversation ended in a screaming match. And I’m heartbroken that Katherine was afraid to wear her Harris/Walz shirt outside her house in York. Also in the PA 10th District we canvassed in, Janelle Stelson almost beat Scott Perry!
We got out of our DC bubble and saw for ourselves how divided our country is right now. We talked in person to people like Melody, a social worker and single mom who was so tired of struggling to pay the bills and distrustful of politicians that she wasn’t sure she’d vote at all. Or Brett, who believed the steel company he worked for would do better under Trump. I think everyone who canvassed in PA saw that the cost of living and who would deliver good paying jobs was on the minds of PA residents, particularly infrequent, undecided, and Trump-leaning voters.
We met other DC/MD/VA residents who are ready to roll up their sleeves, knock on doors, and enthusiastically eat ice cream, pizza, and pot roast cheesesteaks! For me, this was therapeutic and restorative. I remembered that working on campaigns can be fun because you meet all kinds of people who know all kinds of things. And they share your desire to make the world a little better.
Again, many—if not all of us—feel stunned and hurt and threatened by what might come given Trump’s statements and what’s in Project 2025. Certainly DC residents have a lot to be worried about given the powers the President and Congress have over our city. But I am also extremely concerned about some characterizations that are being made about our fellow Americans, and how that might keep us stuck in a place where we will continue to lose elections. Namely:
That Harris lost because working-class voters abandoned Democrats.
That Harris lost because half of America is racist and misogynistic. That white
women let us down or Latino voters let us down or that Trump voters are idiots.
I see a lot of finger-pointing about working-class voters and how Harris didn’t talk about the economy enough. I’ll point out that the closing canvasser script said, “[Harris] has a plan to bring down the cost of groceries, housing, and prescription drugs.” I agree that wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t the empathetic message that voters in York needed to hear. I’ll put it this way: A generation ago, the parents of York worked for steel and paper manufacturers, Harley-Davidson and York Barbells. These were living wage jobs with benefits that people could take pride in working. Now the moms and dads of York work at the Wal-Mart and Amazon fulfillment centers off I-83 and I-81. The economy in the aggregate might be good and inflation falling, but these voters don’t feel it is go-go times.
But I don’t think jobs and the price of groceries were the only reason these voters didn’t vote for Harris. I also believe that the predominance of identity politics is a big factor too. Many voters in York don’t think they matter in Democratic politics anymore. That’s why I think Trump’s most effective ad boiled down to “Harris is for they/them. Trump is for you.” Skilled scapegoating won because many Americans feel like they are struggling and working hard every day but their lives are not getting better. They feel like they are not being seen or heard. And Trump gave them some people to blame: Immigrants. Transgender Americans. Liberals and Woke People.
I do believe that racism and sexism were factors in this election, but I don’t think a little more than half of America should be written off as racists and sexists. Many of the Trump or Trump-leaning voters I spoke to readily acknowledged that Trump’s behavior was unstable and disturbing, but they felt Trump saw them and their struggles. We know that Trump won’t deliver what these voters want: economic security and a better quality of life. That’s why we need to keep connected to them, not abandon them or write them off.
We need to stay organized and grow our coalition of Jedis! I’ll add that the threat to the health and welfare of DC and DC-adjacent residents is very real and immediate. We don’t have much time to organize.
This is getting too long, so let me just end by saying I’m open to your ideas on how to do that. Here’s a google spreadsheet to add your thoughts.
Take care and thank you to all our veterans for your service to our country.
Elissa.
Thank you for organizing those trips and opportunities to volunteer, Elissa. I look forward to hearing from you about other opportunities going forward and your thoughts on how to rebuild after this debacle.