"The Democrats need a leader" I'm not sure I agree with that, at least not now. [View all]
Yesterday's election results across the nation showed something. Downballot candidates, running their own local campaigns, on local issues, on things each of them were passionate about, won the races.
And they did that without a Democratic "Leader".
They each became their own leader.
Some really unlikely candidates won. A trans woman beat the biggest homophobe in VA to take away the seat he held for 25 years. Not because she was a trans woman, but because of the ISSUES she ran on. She was born and raised in the county in which she ran. She had real local issues about which she was passionate. THAT won the election for her. Gay, trans, POC, Asian . . . . each ran and won ON LOCAL ISSUES. Not because of ethnicity or other personal identity, but on ISSUES. Local issues.
Make no mistake. Democrats DO need a leader. We need our elder statespeople in support roles. Our leader, however, is currently unknown. I suspect we political junkies know the person who will become leader, but we don't know that person in that role yet.
And another point. The leaders out there were WE THE PEOPLE. It was people who got out to vote. In Virginia, by way of example, the PEOPLE stood in line in the rain.
Sparkly and I were at the MAGICAL women's march (DC Edition) on *'s first full day on office. There we saw, we felt, we experienced a real phenomenon. Political WOMEN. They were each and every one with whom we engaged real LEADERS.
Our standard bearer will come along in due course. And I am happy to wait. I don't want an annointee. I don't want an inevitable candidate. I want one that grows organically out of the fertile political garden soil that was tilled yesterday.
Our job - yours and mine - is to work with the Democratic Party to make it what we want it to be and to support the brave, motivated citizens who will run as Democrats in 2018 and 2020.
About a week after the 2016 election, we were at a local Democratic event. I was then still stunned by the outcome and HRC's loss. I spoke for a few seconds that night and described myself as a Devastated Democrat. It is now time to leave that behind and be healed. Now we need to be Determined Democrats.
When the time is right, we'll all know who we want as a leader. I prefer we not rush that this time.
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