Rural Routes/Margot Ford McMillen

The Election is Over. Now Move Forward

Now that the election is mere memory, it’s time to get serious. We’re getting emails every day claiming that today’s political situation, no matter who’s in charge, is just like it’s always been. No better, no worse. No matter who’s in charge, the pundits argue, corporate multinationals are in charge.

Really? Leadership doesn’t matter? I disagree. And after the Trump years, and the swaggering behavior that’s taken over, I think you agree also. While voters and public opinion are always driving the conversations, leadership provides the structure.

Let’s go back to 2000, the hanging chad election, and think about how things would have changed if the Democrats had stiffened their backbones and President Bill Clinton had insisted that Al Gore won Florida. After seeing what’s been done in the last four years of presidential insistence, it seems Clinton had the superpower somewhere in his backpack.

Gore was already thinking about global climate change. It would be six years before his blockbuster “An Inconvenient Truth” hit theaters, but he was paying attention to the science and the facts. If he had been president, we could be in a different place today. Solar arrays on new construction. Wind power running Washington D.C. Lots of jobs, based on sustainability.

Now, in 2020, it’s clear we’re on the edge of global crisis, climate-wise as well as disease-wise. So, how do we get Democrats to act smart when there’s a crisis? Democrats can cure themselves of their spineless behavior, and here’s the template:

First of all, let’s admit that all politics is local. In 2020, Dems assumed that all Latinos were alike, and tried to sell Biden to them all the same way. Dems had apparently no clue that Latinos from Cuba, living in Miami, were different from Latinos living in Texas, mostly from Mexico and Latin America. Cubans have a deep sensitivity to creeping socialism, and Republicans were able to play that up in Florida. We saw the results.

Bottom line: Democrats should build from the community level. They need to invest time and money in local communities, understand the problems on the ground, and allow local leadership to create policy that resonates in their own home towns. Here’s the bonus: Crafting policy means encouraging young people to run for office — local office — and begin to understand the power of their own voices. Name recognition, built up by years of work in local offices, will build reputations that can win in national elections.

Let’s face it. The Dems haven’t done a good job of bringing the kiddos into the Democrat tent. One brilliant move that came from the 2020 election is the recruitment of young folks to become poll watchers. Here in Missouri, we found that college kids could serve to check in voters at the polls. They made a little money and their energy carried them through the long days. Good for voters to see fresh young faces and excellent for the kids to see that we take the franchise seriously. Let the elders become advisors as the youngsters learn how to run things. Democrats: Promote age limits for office holders.

Let’s face it: all discussion begins with the media. Out of all the charismatic youngsters on the stage during the Democratic debates, the D’s chose Joe Biden? Oh, please! There was zero chance from the beginning to build glamour into that guy.

Media appeal is more important than ever in an era when fear of disease keeps people away from in-person gatherings. For Democrats, the media should be the first call after policy is crafted and the last call when the race is won. Then, politicians can articulate (some might say spin) the story, using local understandings to explain. OK. I know that it’s increasingly difficult to figure out what kind of media will gain traction. Donald Trump found success with Twitter and Fox News. As a media manipulator, he has been king. For Democrats, locally-based media will work better. Political types should subscribe to local newspapers, and read them. Community radio and TV stations are always looking for content, so use them. Social networking platforms that thrive on memes and jokey videos are also free and up-for-grabs. Use them! Pass the best ones on! And, please, don’t wait until 2024.

But how do we work together? After we’ve arrived at an articulated deep understanding of local issues, it’s time to start building networks. The COVID-19 pandemic created an excellent opportunity for national conversation around health care and health care policies. Trump blew it, but the chance to beat the pandemic still drives us forward. This issue alone could have provided precedent for conversation around many social issues—health care, education, immigration. And then there’s global climate change.

OK, friends. We know what to do. The election is over and it’s time to more forward.

Margot Ford McMillen farms near Fulton, Mo., and co-hosts “Farm and Fiddle” on sustainable ag issues on KOPN 89.5 FM in Columbia, Mo. She also is a co-founder of CAFOZone.com, a website for people who are affected by concentrated animal feeding operations. Her latest book is “The Golden Lane: How Missouri Women Gained the Vote and Changed History”. Email: margotmcmillen@ gmail.com.

From The Progressive Populist, December 1, 2020

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