America at Ground Level – The Awakening

My Travelogue is Briefly Suspended

I intended “America at Ground Level” to reflect my newfound fixation on driving when flying would make more sense. A chronic bladder issue and the associated anxiety of the Fasten Seat Belt sign flashing on have temporarily grounded me, opening my eyes to all I’ve missed zooming along at 30,000 feet.

But, I’m suspending the travelogue theme for this post, though the title — America at Ground Level — could not be more apropos. There’ll be more on trucks and traffic and highways and drivers who shouldn’t drive in the next installment.

An Awakening

On Tuesday we all saw, quite literally, America at Ground Level. Our country owes a debt of thanks especially to the Alabama African-American organizers whose sophisticated registration and get-out-the-vote effort put a Democrat in the Senate and kept a pedophile out.

The overwhelming Black vote gave us a role model in grassroots organizing that we must start now to understand, embrace and implement all across the country — starting today through Nov. 6, 2018. On that day, Democrats and Progressives can retake control of the entire US House and Senate and restore some sense of normalcy to America.

Focus and Discipline

I see some key targets where we must focus to accomplish an upheaval of the US Congress.

• African-Americans — Alabama really says it all. I am in awe of the unity and discipline of identifying potential voters, ensuring they were registered and had the documents to bypass voter suppression efforts and then getting them to precinct polling stations to cast their votes. Such a focused and disciplined effort nationwide will have a profound impact especially in Northern, Southern, Eastern and Midwestern states. It can turn the election, as we have seen.
• Hispanic Americans — In key states across the country, the growth of the Hispanic American population has been explosive. And with that explosion comes enormous political power potential.  Perhaps no voting bloc has been more maligned and insulted by Trump, Bannon and the Congressional leadership than Hispanics in America. So, it’s time their outrage be heard at the polls — but that means a concerted undertaking as sophisticated as the African-American effort in Alabama to turn states like Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, California and Nevada solidly and forevermore solidly Democratic. It can turn the election.
• Sensible Women — The fact that 63 percent of White women in Alabama voted for an accused sex offender and pedophile is both astonishing and sad. Women across America have been subjected to relentless misogynistic insults since even before the Access Hollywood tape was made public — and it hasn’t let up. White Republican women in Congress have fallen right in line with Trump and the GOP leadership for inexplicable reasons. If we can educate, unify and turn out sensible White Women across America, we can hold critical key Democratic House and Senate seats and sweep a whole lot of good ol’ boys out of the US Capitol. It can turn the election.
• The Betrayed — The “infamous” base of angry poor and middle class Americans have been royally screwed by Trump’s executive orders and, now, by the so-called tax reform plan. They have been betrayed with every indignant action imaginable — and will end up without healthcare, paying higher taxes while the rich get richer, and suffering at the whims of Republicans who couldn’t give a hoot about them. The betrayed have the numbers and power to turn the election.

“Fool Me Once…”

America got hoodwinked by Trump and the Republicans in the 2016 election. Some are catching on. Some never will. So, ignore the ignorant and focus instead on these targets of opportunity that can — along with educated White males who already overwhelmingly oppose Trump and the GOP leadership in Congress — change the shape of America.

It will take discipline. It will take training. It will take money. And it will require candidates who are willing to step forward to take a stand to oppose what has happened  to this country since Trump and his ilk have come on the scene.

Thank you to Black Alabama for giving us hope and showing us a path. We now must be smart enough to follow and carry through a strategy of good ol’ fashioned grassroots organizing. There is a big bright light at the end of this tunnel. It is an awakening light on which we must stay focused in the next 12 months if we are going to turn this country around.

Yes, I’m preaching to the choir here. That’s the point. It’s time for the choir to tune-up, practice and rehearse devotedly, and make beautiful music again.