At 10 pm CET, Tuesday night, Voting Day in the USA, I was ready to go to bed. I’ve been sick and too tired to be anxious. I checked my e-mail from my sister who has worked her butt off for MI Elections: Her last e-mail reported: “We're all going crazy with worry today--for Michigan and for the country. I'm having a small election "party" but we all fear it's going to be a wake...” This last e-mail I received was sent one hour later and read:`’Most of the people I invited aren’t coming because they are so depressed and just don’t want to face it. So it’s going to be weird.” She followed with “Not much is going to be known for MI even by tomorrow (my tomorrow). And if the D’s win anything, they’ll call it fraud, so it’s all a big mess.”
Dear Sara, I do enjoy reading your posts so much--and I wish I could offer a cogent analysis of WHY our political landscape is so polarized. Here in Pennsylvania, we were facing some dire straits if the Repubs had won. But somehow, some greater common sense prevailed this time. Roe V. Wade anger was very strong, even though the mainstream media had mostly dropped it as a real driving force, focusing on the economy and crime instead. Also the youth vote--I'd been following a young man--a young get-out-the vote-activist Victor Shi, --he is someone to follow--a terrific positive voice for the youth vote. Their primary concerns are climate change, and women's reproductive rights, and social justice. The young voted in record numbers, something like 94% of which went for the Democrats, because the Repubs continue to offer them nothing. So in PA, waking up on election day, just like in Michigan, we had a breather, with Shapiro as governor and Fetterman taking a formerly red seat for the Democrats. And an amazing bonus--the Pennsylvanian legislature, at least the House in PA, turning blue. We had been living with a Repub-held legislature for years, and they kept the voting laws under their thumb--for instance, not allowing any vote-by-mail ballots to be counted until Election Day. But still, we were able to wake up on Election Day to have a renew sense of hope with Fetterman and Shapiro. (A big disappointment for me personally, was to see someone I liked enormously in my local area, a friend, even, smiling and waving the flag at an Oz rally in PA). These are hard things. The political arena has felt so menacing here in PA. When Trump was elected, the good ol' boys paraded around in their trucks with their flags, and practicing shooting their semi-automatic weapons constantly here in the rural areas. Huge Trump flags hanging on peoples' porches and on their flagpoles. It did not feel safe to even put out signs for Democrats. This type of menace makes it hard not to be disappointed when I see a friend cheering on the hard right. Calls for Civil War on Twitter have been going on for years now, and Trump egging on people, and spewing horrible hate in his rallys has been horrifying. I understand that the rest of the world is exhausted with us here in the US.
But for now, common sense has prevailed. We cannot afford complacency anymore. Something dark rose up in reaction to Obama, although in my humble opinion, it was always latent, as you explained in your analysis of the past century in our politics.
I'm so glad to hear about your sister's engagement. Many blessings to you, and enjoy each day in your wonderful new city, Paris.
Thanks, sorry you were sick but thanks for your post. Let's hope this relief is not temporary!!
Dear Sara, I do enjoy reading your posts so much--and I wish I could offer a cogent analysis of WHY our political landscape is so polarized. Here in Pennsylvania, we were facing some dire straits if the Repubs had won. But somehow, some greater common sense prevailed this time. Roe V. Wade anger was very strong, even though the mainstream media had mostly dropped it as a real driving force, focusing on the economy and crime instead. Also the youth vote--I'd been following a young man--a young get-out-the vote-activist Victor Shi, --he is someone to follow--a terrific positive voice for the youth vote. Their primary concerns are climate change, and women's reproductive rights, and social justice. The young voted in record numbers, something like 94% of which went for the Democrats, because the Repubs continue to offer them nothing. So in PA, waking up on election day, just like in Michigan, we had a breather, with Shapiro as governor and Fetterman taking a formerly red seat for the Democrats. And an amazing bonus--the Pennsylvanian legislature, at least the House in PA, turning blue. We had been living with a Repub-held legislature for years, and they kept the voting laws under their thumb--for instance, not allowing any vote-by-mail ballots to be counted until Election Day. But still, we were able to wake up on Election Day to have a renew sense of hope with Fetterman and Shapiro. (A big disappointment for me personally, was to see someone I liked enormously in my local area, a friend, even, smiling and waving the flag at an Oz rally in PA). These are hard things. The political arena has felt so menacing here in PA. When Trump was elected, the good ol' boys paraded around in their trucks with their flags, and practicing shooting their semi-automatic weapons constantly here in the rural areas. Huge Trump flags hanging on peoples' porches and on their flagpoles. It did not feel safe to even put out signs for Democrats. This type of menace makes it hard not to be disappointed when I see a friend cheering on the hard right. Calls for Civil War on Twitter have been going on for years now, and Trump egging on people, and spewing horrible hate in his rallys has been horrifying. I understand that the rest of the world is exhausted with us here in the US.
But for now, common sense has prevailed. We cannot afford complacency anymore. Something dark rose up in reaction to Obama, although in my humble opinion, it was always latent, as you explained in your analysis of the past century in our politics.
I'm so glad to hear about your sister's engagement. Many blessings to you, and enjoy each day in your wonderful new city, Paris.