🦃 Thanksgiving Thoughts

(Macy’s Day Parade, 1972, Mark Patricof featured)

For many of you, this Thanksgiving might feel a little less hopeful (or even, hopeless). To be unaware of this fact is to be disconnected from the state of the world today. Of course Donald Trump's re-election looms large, but there are other profound reasons you may feel somber this Thanksgiving. From the ongoing conflicts overseas and the rising economic inequality in America to climate change intensification and the rise of extremism across the world and at home, the challenges we’re facing can, at times, feel insurmountable.

That said, I am an eternal optimist and since Donald Trump’s re-election, I have been more energized and impassioned about moving our country forward than ever before. It feels like Democrats have been sleepwalking since 2016. Yes, in 2020 Joe Biden received the most votes of any presidential candidate ever, but at the same time that unfortunately seemed to give Democrats a false sense of security, leading them to overlook the deep and powerful trends fueling Trump’s appeal. 

I am not going to use this time as an analysis of the election, but I will say us Democrats are starting from ground zero, which means we get to rethink everything we have been doing and rebuild. This is obviously a huge, daunting challenge but it is also what gives me hope. We have the chance to think big and find new, authentic ways to resonate with the American people. If we do this well, we will be able to get this country back on the right path. It’s my nature to look for silver linings, but I hope even the biggest pessimist reading this can feel excited about this generational opportunity we have. 

We are about to see an awesome group of new leaders enter the national scene: Newsom, Whitmer, Moore, Polis, Crockett, Shapiro, Beshear, Booker, Warnock, and Buttigeig, to name a few. But we will also meet names we have never heard before. We’re going to see Democrats throwing their hat in the ring and learning from the mistakes of elections past. Gone will be the days of using old playbooks – we will have to innovate, take risks, make mistakes, be less guarded and go on the offensive. Gone will be identity politics and we will be able to focus on issues that are designed to help all people – all things that Democrats have been scared to do in the past. 

While another four years of Trump was clearly not the outcome I was hoping for, I am cautiously optimistic for this next era. At the end of the day, regardless of our differences I still believe that the majority of Americans want the same things:

• Genuine equal rights for all people 

• The right for women to make decisions about their own bodies

• To safeguard and support democracy both at home and abroad

• An economy where people are able to stay afloat and move upward

• A society committed to reducing crime

• Secure borders with a compassionate, fair immigration policy

• Healthcare that actually works for everyone

• Exceptional free education for all

• Ending homelessness and implementing stronger social services for those in need

• Protection, especially of our children, from gun violence 

• Responsible environmental policies

• Accessible, affordable childcare

• The protection of individual freedoms

How we achieve the above is where we disagree, but I truly believe if we all identify the same goals and the Democrats use that as their messaging, we will get there one day.

Despite my optimism, I acknowledge that the days ahead are going to be filled with challenges. We will need to stick together and step outside of our comfort zones. We will need to make mistakes and understand that it’s okay and the only way to learn. We need to be there for each other and push our communities to stay engaged, stay focused, and stay positive. 

I look forward to doing this with all of you. 

I hope you had a day filled with love, family, friends that is all capped off with a Miami Dolphins Victory.

Best,

Jamie