I’d have to check out the now over six-and-a-half years’ worth of blog entries written so far (I know… can you believe it?…) to be certain, but I don’t believe I’ve ever begun with “I told you so!” call-backs from the month before.
But this would be the perfect occasion to start…
Haven’t watched the news so much these past two weeks, because what’s the point of debating who is going to win an election when we’ll all know soon enough? I know in this moment the general consensus seems to lean towards Republicans riding a Red Wave, but for the life of me, I can’t see how this can possibly be true…
And please - vote, vote, vote, everyone! Don’t allow the “experts” to tell you what’s about to happen!
And well, then… What do you know!
GREAT JOB, AMERICA!!!
OK - nay-sayers will point to the fact Democrats no longer have control of the House of Representatives. But no one can dispute the HISTORIC nature of these 2022 mid-terms. The party of the incumbent President ALWAYS loses seats at the halfway point of the first term (with the exception being George W Bush riding the post-911 wave of patriotism that was all-too-briefly sweeping the nation). But in this case, the Democrats crucially remained in control of the Senate - with what will hopefully be an extra seat once the good people of Georgia make their voices heard! The slim majority that the Republicans will “enjoy” in the House may only serve to expose how they are unquestionably a party now being held hostage by a deranged and increasingly exposed minority. And if I wanted to make this a much longer essay, I’d talk about the unanticipated victories at state and local levels all across the country.
This was an exceptional night for people yearning to watch the possibility and strength of democracy in action.
The only pundit I saw on TV who seemed to mirror my pre-election optimism was the one-and-only Michael Moore. But really - didn’t experts recognize the passion of all these newly-registered voters? Did they really believe the initial dismay at the overturn of Roe v. Wade would simply disappear when action mattered the most? Was election-denial about to become the routine lay of the land? Was history truly about to rewrite itself into framing the January 6th insurgency as an heroic act of patriotism?
And would one certain self-serving, ignorant, bloviating ex-President be allowed to continue his journey as the most singularly destructive force against our union since the Civil War?
At least on November 8th, 2022, the answer was clear.
NO!!!
GREAT JOB, AMERICA!!!
I’m too pleased and proud of our country to say “I told you so”. Truthfully, my original sense of optimism was aided and abetted with a large amount of wishful thinking. I’ve been wrong before.
But - thankfully!! - not this time.
The road forward is littered with more land mines than I’d care to acknowledge right now. But at least in this moment we have the opportunity to realize our best selves. Democracy is not perfect - but the concept remains the most humanistic approach to government the most evolved minds in our world’s history have yet produced.
And now - let’s go Georgia!
I’m feeling cheerily optimistic about that one, too!