Over the weekend, a thought struck me. Why hasn't there been more of an argument made, outside the occasional New York tabloid, for the necessity of a massive electoral defeat for Donald Trump?
It makes sense as a reason to "vote blue no matter who" more than almost any other reason that's been talked about, and doesn't have to resort to fear-mongering or vote-shaming. The argument goes: Trump is, at the very least, the first step toward American Fascism and Authoritarian rule, so a vote for Hillary is not necessarily a vote for her, or her policies, or even her conduct, but instead a vote against fascism. If the margin is wide enough, we could possibly drive authoritarianism and fascism back to the darkest corners of this country. The issue shouldn't be how much Hillary wins by, but rather how much Trump LOSES by. The bigger the landslide, the bigger the refutation of fascism, authoritarianism, and American demagoguery.
This shouldn't be about which team wins, it should be about a win for all of us, left and right, rich and poor, conservative and liberal. Nothing is gained by allowing our worst nature, whether it is the smugness of fortress liberalism or the danger of far-right fascism, to take hold. The DFL has a unique opportunity to fight what Walter Mondale called the Good Fight as a progressive arm of the Democratic party, and we should work to resemble the better angels of our nature. Whoever assumes the office of President in January, DFLers will have to keep fighting until the dream of a prosperous and progressive national DFL movement is recognized. It has worked in Minnesota, and it can work elsewhere. Keep fighting.
In Solidarity,
Doremus Jessup
