First, a couple of disclaimers. There are many issues I’m conservative on, and some I’m increasingly conservative on. I’ve voted for Republicans in the past, and I’m have a wealth of complaints about the Democratic party.
With all that said, the current Republican Party, under the “leadership” of Donald Trump, has revealed itself as so utterly morally bankrupt, and such a clear danger to the best institutions and values of the United States of America, that the only hope I see for the future of the country is for that party to be decisively repudiated as immediately as possible.
That means the 2018 midterm elections. We need the Democrats to take the House and the Senate, and then we need to make sure they vote to impeach Trump. If he stays in office until 2020, I don’t believe we’ll ever get rid of him. He’s already sharply shifted the tenor of the country as a whole in a dangerous and negative direction, and his outrageous behaviors and decisions are becoming ever more normalized by the day.
For the time being, I would say forget about marches, protests, letters and so forth, and focus all of your energies 100% on ensuring that Democrats take over seats in Congress held by the GOP (and, of course, retain all the seats they currently hold).
Here in central Ohio, the most immediate election that we can impact is the District 12 special election. The incumbent, Pat Tiberi, a popular moderate Republican, retired suddenly and unexpectedly –part of a mass exodus by Republicans unable to stomach the moral disintegration of their party, but too cowardly to actually speak out against it. As a poorly publicized special election, the outcome will completely revolve around turnout, which means that individual canvassing efforts have a multiplied impact.
My 8 year old daughter and I did 50 doors of a 4000 door canvassing effort for the Democratic candidate, Danny O’ Connor, last week. We spoke to many people who are concerned about the direction of the country, but who didn’t even know this election was happening. If there’s a similar election in your part of the country, no matter how quixotic it may seem, get out there and volunteer. It might be your last best chance to save this country.
IF YOU ARE IN CENTRAL OHIO and want to canvas for the O’Connor campaign: