Last night, I participated in a national strategy call with Swing Left, looking ahead to 2021 and 2022.
It’s hard to believe that Swing Left was founded only four years ago, almost to the day, out of rage and resolve – rage at the results of the 2016 election (and all the bullshit misogyny and racism that produced them) and resolve to turn things around.
Goal one was to take back the House in 2018 to put at least some checks on TrumPutin.
In the intervening 20+ months, thousands of people raised millions of dollars, wrote millions of postcards, make millions of calls, and knocked on millions of doors, and we won.
Goal two was a 2020 trifecta: presidency, House, Senate.
Even more people raised even more money, sent even more letters and postcards, and made even more calls, and we won again.
And people are TIRED.
The Swing Left team opened the call by acknowledging that, and reminding us all that it’s OK to be tired, it’s OK to need a minute, to take a break, to take a breath, before turning our minds to the next task at hand.
Yes, we talked about the CRITICAL state level elections in Virginia this year – and if you’re still not convinced that #ElectionsHaveConsequences, it was less than 10 years ago that then-Governor Robert McDonnell signed a bill mandating women undergo a medically unnecessary ultrasound before choosing abortion (it was a close thing around requiring a medically unnecessary and invasive transvaginal ultrasounds). I know Hecate’s going to continue her work organizing in Virginia, and I’ll be by her side (definitely metaphorically, hopefully literally once I get vaccinated).
Yes, we talked about 2022. Historically, the party in power loses seats in the House and Senate in the midterms, and the Dems don’t have seats to lose in either chamber. So we know we’re going to have to organize and fundraise and GOTV our asses off to forestall that this time around.
But the entire Swing Left team emphasized that it’s OK to take time out to celebrate what we’ve accomplished in the past two election cycles and take a SHORT break from the hard, unending work of fighting for a more just, more equitable country. So make sure you do that, so you can be ready – strong, healthy, focused, committed, energized – for the next round.
Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash
Like what you read? Follow me on Twitter @MrsWhatsit1.
Just read an opinion piece by Stacy Abrams and Lauren Groh-Wargo about their strategy for turning Georgia blue, and how other states can use their blueprint. (HA! Punish!) It’s in the New York Times.
Thanks – I hope Jamie Harrison’s reading it, too! 😉