The Race for the South

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

2018 saw a new wave of Democratic candidates coming out of southern states. Alabama ushered in a surprise wave of excitement at the end of 2017 with the special election of U.S. Senator Doug Jones. However, that Alabama excitement did not spread into southern states for the 2018 midterms. States like Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida all had big races at the U.S. Senate or gubernatorial levels. The top tickets Democrats in those states lost.

Some lost by small margins while others were a gap large enough to consider it a landslide.  

Candidates like Stacy Abrams of Georgia and Beto O’Rouke of Texas tapped into new voters through the excitement surrounding their campaigns, but ultimately failed to secure the victory.  In Abrams case, voter suppression played a major role. As the first African American female to secure the Democratic nomination for governor – ever – she fought against the state’s Republican Secretary of State, Brian Kemp, who refused to resign even as he administered over the electoral process while running competing against Abrams in the race.

O’Rouke narrowly lost – 48.3% to 50.9% – to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz who saw his lead tightening closer to election day. Having served as the congressman for Texas’ 16th district, O’Rouke ran a campaign that didn’t rely on the traditional polling to advise him.  He pledged not to accept PAC contributions and raised nearly $2 million in the first three months through small donations.

Florida also held a gubernatorial election where Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum fought hard against the Republican nominee Ron DeSantis, falling by less than a percentage point.  Gillum was the first Black nominee for governor in the state of Florida in a racially tinged campaign. And down in Tennessee and Mississippi, U.S. Senate races were top ticket competitive races, but both Democratic nominees lost to their respective Republican candidates.

So, what happened? Voters were energized by the Democratic slate, but failed short to secure the top ticket seats. Conversely, these competitive races did usher in a new wave of Democratic talent for down ticket races. In Texas, Republican judges lost control of the Third Court of Appeals and the Fifth Court of Appeals.  In Tennessee, a wave of twenty African-American women were elected to local and state seats in Shelby County. Alabama had 55 women run for state-level offices. Gun violence advocate, Lucy McBath, won her congressional seat in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District.

While the larger races did not turn out how Democratic voters in the respective states might have hoped, they did help bring change in other down-ballot races and energize new voters. 2019 is here and now campaign teams are gearing up for 2020. Looking to the past, candidates can only hope for a better future. 

The US House – Opening Volleys of a New Regime

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

By a narrower margin than any mid term “wave” in recent history, the Democratic Party has now regained the House, and along with that, the chairmanship of the House’s most important statutory committee – the Ways and Means Committee.  The Constitution says that the budget process must begin in the House, making setting budget priorities one of the single most important special functions of the entire body.  In the chorus of America’s electorate in returning control of the House to Democrats, the primary concerns were healthcare (specifically preservation of pre-existing condition protections), rising deficits resulting from corporate tax cuts, and the cost of “the Wall”.  Now in his first resounding action as he prepares to take the gavel, Richard Neal, likely the next Ways and Means Chair has stated that among his first actions as chair will be……  to demand Donald Trump’s tax returns?

President Trump was among the first presidents in modern history not to publicly release his returns – even though the president has no more need to do so than any other private citizen.   Candidates have done so largely to show transparency.  While IRS firewalls exist specifically to make certain that elected officials may not influence IRS actions against themselves, and while elected officials have statutory audits that mandate laser focus on the propriety of their taxes, the decision to release them is their own.  However, most candidates have decided that even if there were awkward issues in their returns, that to face the American electorate without releasing their own returns was too risky to contemplate.

President Trump has continually resisted such a release, citing such issues as audits most of which seem like changing the subject because he just doesn’t want to, and he chose to face the voters (as was his right) without the release.  Most Americans on both sides assume that the release of his returns is likely to show that despite his wealth, Donald Trump pays very little in taxes.  While many Democrats have tried to associate this with not paying his “fair share”, and while there may be a strong argument to that case, Trump is also unique to history in not having been a part of any branch of government before his presidential election – meaning that even if he’s paid nothing in taxes, that the laws that governed Trump’s tax payments were passed without any of the President’s doing.  More to the point, those tax systems were hashed out in the House Ways and Means Committee which now seeks to order the President to turn them over – and not because of any specific issue… But because every other President has done so and he has not.

The Democrats have been given a limited mandate of power to show they can deliver on the issues the current administration has put on the back burner.  If they can use the House to set budget objectives, preserve benefits to Americans and return to an environment of civility in the public sphere, perhaps they’ll be rewarded.  This is my country.  Regardless of my own “side”, I wish the House leadership success, and hope they listen to those who have given them this opportunity.  I strongly implore them not to focus first on political posturing.  If their early priorities really are seeking the president’s taxes, impeachments sent to a Senate unlikely to convict, and lines in the sand that create a government shutdown, this foothold given by one of the most precarious margins in recent history may instead ensure this president a second term and deliver all three branches of government back to the Republicans in another two years.

What Are We Doing?

by with No Comment FeaturedPoliticsTrump Administration

Seriously…what are we doing? Are we ready to talk about what’s happening to this country? Like, REALLY talk about it?

These last few days, this last week, month, two years, have been tiring to say the least. Democrats won control of the House – that’s great – but are they going to make effective use of their political gain? The win is not progress enough, something real and tangible needs to happen. 

In the last few weeks, bombs were mailed to Trump’s political opponents. Black people were targeted and murdered in a grocery store after the shooter couldn’t get into a church. Eleven Jewish people were killed in yet another shooting that was not only en masse, but an anti-Semitic hate crime. A mass shooting at a yoga studio. The individual callout of each Republican who did not support Trump lost their seat. Trump completely disregarded the reality of the election outcomes. Not to mention, forcing Jeff Sessions to resign… 

I can’t even begin to detail the laundry list of other hate-filled heinous acts or misguided (at the least) political bungles that have occurred on both small and large scale since the beginning of Trump’s Presidency. Can we talk about Trump’s rhetoric, what it’s doing to this country, and why half the country seems to have no qualms with the lack of morality and ethics left? Yes, the win Tuesday night is progress for Democrats, it’s moving forward and that’s terrific. But the long haul is not close to over and winning the House is not enough. If we don’t deal with what is really happening, we have a long road and a dim future ahead. 

The Turkey Is Almost Done

by with No Comment Diversity & InclusionFeaturedPolitics

Democrats were hoping for a “blue wave” in this weeks Midterms elections. Though the “blue wave” failed to make shore for nationally followed races such as Beto in Texas, he lost by the thinnest of margin which is encouraging by any standard. The other nationally followed races for Governor in both Georgia and Florida are still too close to call and on the verge of a runoff election. Some Democrats were looking for more than a wave, rather a Tsunami. Polls regarding the approval of the Trump administration have been historically low, and the midterm elections were seen as the chance for said Democratic wave to begin the drowning of Trump’s influence through Congress, which would build momentum for a hopeful defeat of Trump in 2020. Though the wave wasn’t a big enough splash in certain places, the blue wave did swallow up enough seats to take over the House of Representatives.

So a Tsunami didn’t happen, but historic waves did make landfall, and the waves were dominated by women. Surfing to shore were the following:

Two Muslim women to Congress, both equally being the first to do so.

The first Native American woman to Congress…

The first lesbian mother to Congress… 

The youngest woman ever elected to Congress… 

The first Black woman ever elected as the Attorney General of New York… 

Also, the first every openly gay man was elected Governor of Colorado.

In my opinion, that’s a splash to be proud of. 

In addition to people, major progress was made nationwide regarding policies. Marijuana is now legal in Michigan, and medically legal in Utah and Missouri. The unsung victory from the midterm elections was without question Amendment 4 passing in Florida, which now grants voting rights to nearly 1.5 million Floridians who were former felons. (I’ll stress that importance in a little bit.) 

Twenty years ago (1998), there was no such thing as legalized Marijuana, and gay marriage was still illegal! We now have an openly gay Governor and legal Marijuana of any usage in ten states. That’s important.

Here in Texas, Hillary Clinton lost by 9% to Trump in the 2016 Presidential election. Two years later, Beto O’ Rourke lost by less than 3% to the well-funded incumbent in Republican Senator Ted Cruz (in the largest red state in the country). The fact that Beto realistically only had a punchers chance against Cruz and almost come away with a victory, is a victory. Here’s why the “moral victories” in Texas are a sign of possible change. For Republicans, big states in which they depend on like Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, can have blue tendencies. Not Texas. Texas is counted on to hold down the GOP fort, due to its 38 electoral votes, second to only California’s 55. The next pure red states with as many electoral votes are Georgia with 16, North Carolina with 15, and Arizona, Indiana, Tennessee each with 11. I think it’s important to note that the unaspiring candidate in Hillary Clinton only lost by nine points in Texas with very little effort in campaigning, and Beto who actually campaigned barely lost. Such improvement in only two years should awaken the Democrat brass to start putting more money and effort into Texas for maybe not a blue wave, but a good ole Texas blue twister to stir things up. 

The way Andrew Gillum destroyed his Republican opponent Ron DeSantis, sparred with Trump via twitter, performed extremely well in the gubernatorial debates, and considering the changes in demographics… Gillium should have won by double digits. Gillum is down by less than .5 percent, which means they’re likely headed towards a recount. Is it not a fair assumption that the 1.5 million formerly convicted felons who just had their voting rights restored could’ve helped him out? 

I know Democrats and Progressives didn’t win every seat they wanted to; however, the numbers are increasing in the right direction in this nation. It’s like hearing “still not done” being yelled by grandma in the kitchen on Thanksgiving regarding the Turkey and her famous side dishes you’ve been patiently waiting for all day. The food isn’t done but you can smell how close it is. You can even see the plates coming out the cabinet. And that’s okay, long as you stay in your chair and don’t get up. No one can take your spot and you’ll be sure to get first dibs on whatever you. 

Midterms… From the Left, Center, Right

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics
Different perspectives are important, especially regarding the 2018 Midterms. The dust has settled. We asked three of our contributors from the Left, Center, and Right, to weigh in… and here’s what they had to say…
“Midterms… we came, we saw, we partially conquered. To know so many women (particularly minority women) were elected to office for the first time in history was a bittersweet moment. Sweet because I, along with future generations, have a predecessor to look up to. Bitter because in 2018, the fact that we are still having such firsts is unacceptable.” – Left Healthcare Professional 
“A rising tide lifts all boats” is a common way of thinking when making policies. We must realize however, that although the tide will raise the boat I am on, there are some citizens not privileged enough to be on that boat and those policies can have a negative impact on them. In this election I voted for the good of people, ALL people. Although there are some policies that may benefit some tax brackets over others, we as people need to look out for our brothers and sisters (regardless of racism, sexism, and classism) and do what is good for humanity. I appreciate the campaigns that stayed away from the hate and division. Unfortunately, not enough campaigns can say they did that.”  – Center Single Mom
The Democrats now have a tool to prove their worth again to the American people or just enough rope to hang themselves. This “wave” is milder and different in character than the midterm wave of the last three presidents. If Democrats can focus around healthcare and assemble a compromise budget deal (perhaps around issues such as infrastructure), and can find a strong presidential candidate, perhaps they will be rewarded. If this turns into an army of subpeonas… if they continue to focus their entire agenda (or allow their news cycles to focus on) the president’s taxes or scandals, or if their intransigence leads to a government shutdown, they may well have just enough stake in the government to take the blame for a market correction after several years of low inflation growth. If that happens, the house may turn again in two years, and Trump will have another four years. – Right Army Veteran 

The Day After: 2018 Midterm Elections

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZPolitics

Two years ago I wrote a piece on the day following the 2016 presidential election. I was full of emotions that day—sad, angry, confused, frustrated, devastated, scared, and most of all, hopeless—and I needed to express them somehow. Two years later I’m here again to write a new version of my post-Election Day thoughts. This piece, however, will not be nearly as emotionally charged as the original. I have a lot of feelings about last night’s election, but above all else this time I feel hopeful.

​I want to start by talking about Election Day itself. One question that often gets asked is why Election Day is not a national holiday. I believe it should be. People are missing out on the opportunity to vote because they have to go to work or class. I also believe that on Election Day, all public transportation should be free. All people should have fair and equal access to voting and I believe that includes free transportation to get to the polls. Uber and Lyft have already implemented free rides to polling places on election day, so public transportation should be doing the same in order to ensure that everyone has a chance to vote. If we want to continue the pattern of growing voter turnout, we need to make sure that everyone has equal opportunity and access.

I also believe that every state should have same-day voter registration. A lot of people miss out on the opportunity to vote because many states require registration to be completed weeks before Election Day. Allowing people to register through the day of the election gives more opportunity for people to be able to vote. Voting should be a quick and easy process that everyone should have access to. After speaking to a few first-time voters yesterday I realized the process of voting might not be intuitive to those who have never done it before. There should be someone available at all polls to assist first time voters and anyone else who might need help.

​When it comes to the results of yesterday’s election, I have a lot of mixed feelings. However, like I said before, the emotion I’m feeling most strongly is hopefulness. As a registered Democrat, I am overjoyed to see the flip of the House of Representatives. Although the Dems were not able to flip the Senate as well, I find some joy in other smaller victories. For example, record-breaking numbers of women were elected to the House. There were many firsts of this election as well. For example Sharice Davids, the first openly gay and Native American woman to be elected to Congress, Jared Polis, the first openly gay male Governor, and Ihan Omar, the first Muslim woman in Congress.

​Although we may not have come away with the “Blue Wave” that so many people were hoping for, I see the victories from this election as a step in the right direction. I feel very optimistic about our future and I hope we continue to make history going forward in our elections by pushing for more minority representation in out Congress.

Returning to Work

by with 3 Comments FeaturedPoliticsRace Relations

The highly anticipated midterms are over… Not necessarily a “blue wave” but enough Democrats won to reclaim the House. So now the Dems can call for investigations, subpoenas, etc. We’re not sure how much success they’ll have, but if nothing else it’ll add to the circus that Washington has now become. 

If you’re a Black American, regardless of where you reside, you were hopeful Gillum and Abrams would win their Florida and Georgia Gov races respectfully. Let’s be honest, you were probably more than hopeful. You might’ve donated to their campaigns, at the very least your eyes were probably glued to CNN or MSNBC as they reported and updated the numbers. 

But while we didn’t want to admit it, the writing was on the wall when the coverage for these two big races began to fade and focus was redirected to other less historic or risky races. Gillum jumped to a lead, but Florida is Florida, and once the panhandle numbers came it was a done deal. Abrams on the other hand never appeared to have a shot. Her opponent jumped out to a big lead and held on. 

All that support, time, energy, “sweat equity,” registering new voters, younger voters, etc… wasted. Minorities including Black Americans have given a lot to this country. If Democrats can’t win elections with great candidates against opponents who blatantly traffic in racism and bigotry, then perhaps Dems aren’t the answer or the party for minorities? Or perhaps a drastic shift in leadership is the only way to get over this hump? 

Across this country, millions of Black Americans and minorities are mustering up the strength to return to mostly all-White offices and workplaces (today and the rest of the week) having suffered another moral and legislative defeat that hits them in every way possible. Where does that strength come from? Where are the safe places needed to exchange thoughts, vent, and move on? Trying to do so… after an 8-10 hour workday… year after year… election after election… can’t be healthy. 

Advice… don’t engage in political discussion, don’t take the everyday frustrations that come with any job personal, and stay close to family and friends who either know your pain, can relate, or have exemplified empathy. 

Dems should take a hard look at how they decide to campaign and strategize moving forward. Taking the “high road” sounds great, when you win. But they lost, two devastating and deflating losses. In both Florida and Georgia, their opponents made it about race. Not just race, but nasty racism… whether it was “monkey this up” or repeat overtly racist robocalls, digs at their education and fitness for office, Republicans in Florida and Georgia made up their mind that they were gonna hit low, hit hard, and hit often. That’s exactly what they did, and it carried them to victory. 

Gillum, Abrams, and Dems collectively did the exact opposite. They stayed high, and once again, to no avail. Is the solution to go just as low, probably not. But when you run two highly qualified charismatic candidates in Gillum and Abrams, and still lose, you should probably take a hard look at your playbook, strategy, and party leadership. 

Change is never easy, but it is inevitable. Since Dems expect or count Black Americans and minorities in their tent, they need to start making changes and winning the games/elections they should win, because something tells me this younger generation won’t be as patient and understanding as those that came before them. 

THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

Thank you, President Trump. Thank you for electrifying a nation that was politically flaccid. Thank you for jolting younger generations into political action. And, If I am being totally honest, thank for driving me to awaken the Silverback inside me.

Over the last six hundred and fifty four days of this Presidency, I’ve observed many things that have equally disturbed me and broken my heart. Unfortunately, at the top of that list are Conservatives of Faith who have continued to support this President. The more that I continued to see the bastardization of Faith, did it only drive me to recall my own Christian upbringing. While the net outcome of those conversations with myself will be shared at a later time, I did remember the following passage from 1 Kings 3: 16-27. Which is a story about King Solomon making a decision between amongst two disputing women:

16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king.25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

America is the baby. Love always wins. Go vote.