McKinnon performed the song "Hallelujah," originally written by the recently-passed Leonard Cohen, but with some lyrics from a more popular version with lyrics added by Jeff Buckley. Within her performance, and within the words of that song we can see what went wrong with the Democratic Party, and where it needs to go to once again prove a viable alternative to creeping American Fascism.
And yes, I will keep calling it fascism until the MM's lock Doremus Jessup up over at Trianon. I'm not afraid of them, and neither should you be. "And still Doremus goes on in the red sunrise, for a Doremus Jessup can never die." Keep fighting.
After the first verse, which was shared by both song versions, McKinnon sang a Buckley verse next:
Maybe I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
It's here, in this verse, that the chief failing of the campaign is illustrated. The campaign made itself about love; Love Trumps Hate, I'm With Her, the abuela comments, and so many more meant to put a cozy feeling to someone who had been come to be known as cold and calculating. Unfortunately, it was the cold and calculating way the campaign tried to triangulate and manipulate emotions like love, fear, and disgust that made the entire thing seem less like a genuine plea and more like a cynical election strategy.
In short, Love was never meant to have been treated like a victory march. Love, as McKinnon sang, is a cold and broken thing, gained through tears and agony, not something to be paraded about, particularly in a time of staggering inequality, uncertainty, and frustration with the status quo.
Next, McKinnon sang a verse from the Cohen version:
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
The verse tells the sad story of the entire campaign. She did her best, but her past misdeeds undid her as a flawed candidate. She was out of touch with a majority of Americans, and even in her attempts to relate she still seemed distant and confused with concepts like Snapchat, dabbing, or Pokemon. And unfortunately, it was when truth came out via Wikileaks of her public and private positions, it all went wrong. And now she stands, ready to be judged, with nothing on her tongue but am sad, ironic word of rejoicing. Other Democrats should do the same.
So, now we are on the outside, looking in, cold and broken. But it's here that you find out who your friends really are, and who has really got your back. I'm a DFLer, and I'm damn proud of it. I'm not going anywhere and I'm going to help rebuild this bridge to Social Democratic prosperity brick by brick, if you'll have me. The time has come for Democrats as a party to do what Hillary Clinton was afraid to do, lest she look "weak." We need to apologize. We need to fall to our knees and rend our garments, and apologize to the working class, the minorities, the youth, and so many other segments of society we took for granted. The time has come to utter that cold and broken Hallelujah and realize that things may seem bleak now, but to rejoice that it is a new day for liberals, progressives, and yes, even Democratic Socialists. Everything starts anew, everything begins again, and I'll be here to bring us, all of us, back to glory.
Hallelujah.
