I went to bed last night with a heavy heart, thinking how racism sells and how the efforts to suppress the vote, from gerrymandering to relocation and limiting of polling places to defunct scanners to rob calls pay off. Every single time, which is why those practices are continued with a vengeance. Or proactiveness, as the case may be.  The way it works has even majority votes turn into a win for the other side. (NYT: Voters cast 44.7 million votes for Democratic Senate candidates and 32.9 million votes for Republican Senate candidates — in other words 57 percent of Senate votes went for Democrats. But given how states and cities and stuff work, and which of the former happened to be up for election this year, this gap translated into at least a two-seat gain for Republicans. Republicans will have a majority in the upper chamber, and are currently sitting on 51 senators with several races yet to be called.)

 

I woke up defiant this morning, and much more upbeat. The Republicans picked up 2 Senate seats, yes, and that will go their way with judiciary and Supreme Court decisions. But look at what the Democrats accomplished, against all the structural obstacles thrown into their way.

Taking House, 333 state legislature seats, added at least 7 new governors, 6 trifectas in states, passed 100+ progressive ballot initiatives. The 25 house seats will allow congress to return to its constitutional obligation of providing checks and balances. You now have two Muslim, tow Naive American women in congress, and the first Black woman from MA, despite the most racist campaign ever run by a President.  More than 90 women won house seats. Tennessee elected the first woman senator, Maine its first woman governor. More NRA backed politicians lost their seats than ever before ( thank you Parkland kids!)

Heller, Rohrabacher gone.

And ballot measures passed that can potentially change the political landscape, as well as those that improve justice or people’s existence.

The former include the restoring of voting rights to felons in Florida and the redrawing of districts by independent commissions in Colorado. The latter includes Louisiana’s decision to require unanimous jury decisions in stead of the racially biased 10/2 outcome (ironically Oregon is now the only state that still sits on this perverse regulation.) Voting registration systems have been improved in several states, Michigan and Nevada among them (although Arkansa and North Carolina passed ballot measures to require photo ID which is believed to disenfranchise minority voters.) And WA tackled a bit of gun control, upping the age for purchase and requirements for secure storage. MA passed protection for transgender rights.

Clearly ballot initiatives are a tool that needs to be explored more by progressives hoping to turn things around locally.

And speaking of local: Oregon has a supermajority in the Senate, defeated a Republican gubernatorial candidate showered with riches by Phil Knight, passed ballot initiatives that help affordable housing and failed, happily, those dealing with immigration restrictions, grocery tax, and several more.

Now we need to work harder, to consolidate the movement on the ground and to change the conditions that made it so difficult for candidates in FL and GA. And take bets when Beto will travel to Iowa……

Pics are of screenshots I took yesterday as they rolled in across the day.