Bernie Sanders at a November rally on Capitol Hill for economic and social justice. (photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
26 December 16
OK,
I hear you: Donald Trump is a huge step backward for our country. It
was, however, the last gasp for the angry white conservatives. They may
have one more national election in them, but the electorate is becoming
more progressive. Millennials will lead us in the right direction.
Bigotry is not as big a deal in our schools and
playgrounds as it was in the past that many Trump supporters want to
return to. Race and gender are not seen as obstacles by our youth. That
is one of the reasons Hillary Clinton did not do as well with young
people as Bernie. Young women do not fear the glass ceiling like their
elders. It’s easy for them to imagine a woman in the White House, so it
wasn’t a factor they considered when choosing their candidate.
Of course, African Americans know the presidency is a job they can aspire to and achieve.
The establishment of the Democratic Party erred in
ignoring the negatives of a Hillary Clinton candidacy and blocked the
candidate who energized their base from receiving the nomination.
The movement that Bernie Sanders awakened is
unstoppable. Many in the establishment are reading the writing on the
wall and moving in our direction. Chuck Schumer and Harry Reid are
supporting Keith Ellison because they know that progressives have
touched a nerve and will continue to build a majority, either as
Democrats or in a new party. They know they have to make room in the
Democratic Party for the Political Revolution or watch the party fade
away.
I know many of you advocate letting the Democratic
Party wither on the vine, but I think that would be a mistake. It will
take too long to replace it with a party that the American public will
take seriously. The best strategic move is to take control of the
Democratic Party.
While the country took a step backward in November,
progressives went from Dennis Kucinich in 2008, who never made it out of
Iowa and New Hampshire, to getting 13 million votes and winning 22
states in 2016. We are on the rise, and if we look forward and continue
to organize we can lead the Democratic Party when the demographic shift
in the country gives us the advantage.
Donald Trump and his surrogates have said it many times. According to The Hill:
“I think this will be the last election if I don’t win,” Trump told the
Christian Broadcasting Network’s “Brody File.” “I think this will be
the last election that the Republicans have a chance of winning because
you’re going to have people flowing across the border, you’re going to
have illegal immigrants coming in and they’re going to be legalized and
they’re going to be able to vote, and once that all happens, you can
forget it.”
Michele Bachmann echoed Trump’s remarks: “If you look
at the numbers of people who vote and who live in the country and who
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to bring into the country, this is
the last election when we even have a chance to vote for somebody who
will stand up for godly moral principles. This is it,” Bachmann told the
radio program.
OK ... This was Trump and Bachman using fear to
motivate conservatives to vote, but there is some truth in what they
were saying. Donald is wrong that it would take more illegal immigration
to change the demographics of the country. According to the Census
bureau, in 2055 a majority of Americans will be non-white. Between now
and then the minority vote will continue to rise. Forget the identity
politics if you want, Generation X is more progressive than their
parents. Millennials are even more progressive than Generation X. Our
day is coming.
We must continue to build our movement and be prepared
to lead when the tipping point hits. Change doesn’t come overnight, but
at times it comes quickly. We made more progress in 2016 than we have
made in decades.
I know that many of you thought Bernie conceded too
soon. The reality is Bernie picks his battles wisely. He knew when to
move on to the next fight. The Democratic Party establishment stopped
him short of the nomination, but he knew he had built a movement that
they wouldn’t be able to hold back forever. He could have directed that
movement in the wrong direction. If he had gone third party or Green and
even got 15% of the vote, Trump would still be President, and Bernie
would be blamed for the Democrats’ loss.
Instead, we find ourselves in a position where
Bernie’s choice for DNC chair is a frontrunner. In states around the
country, Berniecrats are taking leadership positions in the party.
Bernie and the political revolution are stronger today than if they had
run a third party campaign that would have been seen as a spoiler.
Bernie did what was right for the movement and the country.
One day when
progressives take power, 2016 will be seen as a turning point.
Scott Galindez attended Syracuse University, where
he first became politically active. The writings of El Salvador's slain
archbishop Oscar Romero and the on-campus South Africa divestment
movement converted him from a Reagan supporter to an activist for Peace
and Justice. Over the years he has been influenced by the likes of
Philip Berrigan, William Thomas, Mitch Snyder, Don White, Lisa Fithian,
and Paul Wellstone. Scott met Marc Ash while organizing counterinaugural
events after George W. Bush's first stolen election. Scott will be
spending a year covering the presidential election from Iowa.
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