Ultimately, we are on the same team and want our great country to thrive, restore the American dream and return to sanity. It's deeply troubling that the blame game has already started.
If I understand the moderate view correctly, getting along and working across the aisle, not rocking the boat and for heaven's sake stop talking about far-left views such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for all because that approach cost us the senate and limited the house.
If you look at the issues and candidates that won though, a different picture arises. Just a few years ago a $15 an hour minimum wage was considered far left and impossible. Florida voted for a $15 minimum wage and at least 7 other states are contemplating it in the near future. Four states; Montana, South Dakota, New Jersey and Arizona have legalized recreational marijuana and Mississippi voted to reclassify it and make medicinal marijuana legal.
Arizona passed a 3.5% tax on residents making more than $250,000 a year to prop up their schools and teachers pay.
Utah and Nebraska both overwhelmingly voted to end slavery as a potential punishment for committing a crime. Hard to believe it was still on the books.
The most outspoken and unapologetic progressives like Cori Bush in Missouri, all four of "The Squad" and Jamal Bowman all won easily. Mondaire Jones and Ritchie Torres became the first openly LGBTQ black members of the US Congress. Sarah McBride became the first transgender state senator in United states history. Stephanie Byers became Kansas's first trans legislator, Jabari Brisport, the first LGBTQ person of color elected to the New York State Legislature. Kim Jackson became Georgia's first openly LGBTQ State Senator Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis, first LGBTQ legislators elected in Tennessee. Shevrin Jones and Michael Raynor-Goolsby, first openly LGBTQ lawmakers in Florida. Taylor Small first openly trans member of the Vermont legislature. All progressives running in swing states won their elections.
Generation Z and Millennials very soon will be the largest voting bloc and we will absolutely need them in the mid-terms. While we're making nice, their future is diminishing. How likely will they be to even vote if we don't treat their very real concerns with "house on fire" boldness it deserves.
Besides, we already tried making nice for 8 years under Barack Obama. With all of that capitulation, we lost over 1000 seats.
The Country has spoken and Biden has broken record for most votes in history for any presidential candidate.
If they won, they would call it a mandate and do whatever extreme non inclusive laws they could shove down our throats. Somehow that has appeal. If we were bold, we wouldn't appear weak and ineffective.
Hallette Salazar
