Que lo que: a debate debacle
Hey y’all. Still digesting the Supreme Court decisions that are coming at us fast and furious. Meanwhile, some thoughts on last Thursday’s debate. I’d love to hear your responses and reactions so please share them in the comments!
Elections are always existential. Presidential debates are not existential. For women, people of color, the LGBTQ community and low-income people, every past election was a life-or- death matter. A whole lot of people live with deep vulnerability every day, because of the color of their skin, their immigration status, their gender or sexual orientation. And no President will resolve that, not in 2025 or maybe never. That’s up to us.
The Democratic Party is mostly interested in its survival and not in expanding the electorate or building a more inclusive policy agenda. They are as transactional as the other side, with a weaker strategy and fewer resources. Let’s agree that this is not about choosing the lesser of two evils; electing a Democrat is simply a baby step toward preserving a shit system while we work to transform it.
Be prepared to be disappointed even if Biden steps aside. The party will likely screw VP Kamala Harris over by saying she can’t win against Trump, and they may decide a white woman like Gretchen Whitmer could energize the base (read: white women). We all know how this will end. Or we will end up with milquetoast Pete Buttigieg or Gavin Newsom. See points 1 and 2 above.
My fourth and final point is that we must look beyond the presidential ticket to every election at stake this year. Because it’s existential and because elections are always only one step and because only we are going to save ourselves. Do not be held hostage by one debate, one candidate, one election or one party.
Start (or keep) fighting. Act like your life depends on it. Because it does.
In solidarity,
Sayu
Yes to everything you wrote. And, we must double down in our practices that root us in love, active peace making, and just relationships with ourselves and one another. The energy we bring to the work of democracy matters...May we touch the earth and feel her power.