Will Trump be able to lead...

[Hobie]

I was checking the news at 11 pm and even thought Trump was ahead they couldnt admit Kamala Harris was losing the election. I fell asleep and woke up later and still they wouldnt allow that Kamala Harris couldnt find a way to win, and when I woke up at 5 am they were still at it, with eyes heavy with sleep and slurred speech they still tried to keep up a pretense that she had a chance.

It doesnt look like they will ever be able to accept another Trump presidency if they cant even admit what the truth of the matter right before their very eyes..

"Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

The Democratic Party can only blame itself for the outcome of this election. A stronger, more thoroughly vetted candidate than Kamala Harris could have likely defeated Donald Trump.

I will never forget the shock I felt late on Election Day 2016, when it started to look like Donald Trump would pull off a longshot victory over Hillary Clinton.

In the early morning hours of the next day, it became clear Trump had sealed the deal.

And now, he’s done it again.

Kudos to the president on his victory.

While I have concerns about how Trump will begin his second term in office, including whether he’ll be able to bring together a strong Cabinet and top-notch advisers, I have an even more pressing worry:
Whether Democrats will accept the results of this election and come to terms with Trump as president.... "

Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his victory. Kamala Harris and Democrats must now help progressives accept the election results.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Hobie]

And the shocked media reaction...
"Opinion: No Election Day result, but heavy Trump vote shows America has already lost

Good morning, and welcome to hell, or as it’s known in modern-day America, “the day after Election Day.”

We still don’t know who won, largely because tens of millions of voters still think Donald Trump is the kind of person who should be president, despite an internet worth of evidence that says otherwise.

As most of us went to bed Tuesday night, the election remained too close to call, hinging on a handful of swing states.

Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris spent most of the night repeatedly saying, “What? Are you serious?” as it became clear she wasn’t going to run away with a victory.

MSN

 

[prism]

Proverbs 21:1 NKJV
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
(Senate and House included).

 

[Carbon]

I was checking the news at 11 pm and even thought Trump was ahead they couldnt admit Kamala Harris was losing the election. I fell asleep and woke up later and still they wouldnt allow that Kamala Harris couldnt find a way to win, and when I woke up at 5 am they were still at it, with eyes heavy with sleep and slurred speech they still tried to keep up a pretense that she had a chance.

It doesnt look like they will ever be able to accept another Trump presidency if they cant even admit what the truth of the matter right before their very eyes..

"Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

The Democratic Party can only blame itself for the outcome of this election. A stronger, more thoroughly vetted candidate than Kamala Harris could have likely defeated Donald Trump.

I will never forget the shock I felt late on Election Day 2016, when it started to look like Donald Trump would pull off a longshot victory over Hillary Clinton.

In the early morning hours of the next day, it became clear Trump had sealed the deal.

And now, he’s done it again.

Kudos to the president on his victory.

While I have concerns about how Trump will begin his second term in office, including whether he’ll be able to bring together a strong Cabinet and top-notch advisers, I have an even more pressing worry:
Whether Democrats will accept the results of this election and come to terms with Trump as president.... "

Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his victory. Kamala Harris and Democrats must now help progressives accept the election results.

www.usatoday.com

Trump was ordained by God to be the president of America. I believe we ought to be thankful for His grace and mercy. It seems He is giving America a chance, or preserving this country for His purpose.
According to scripture, God establishes authorities and puts rulers in place. Romans 13:1-7

 

[Hobie]

Trump was ordained by God to be the president of America. I believe we ought to be thankful for His grace and mercy. It seems He is giving America a chance, or preserving this country for His purpose.
According to scripture, God establishes authorities and puts rulers in place. Romans 13:1-7

So would you call this a divine retribution for the Democrats stand on LGBTQIA2S, and WOKE agenda and Godless ideology?

 

[Mr GLee]

So would you call this a divine retribution for the Democrats stand on LGBTQIA2S, and WOKE agenda and Godless ideology?

I would call it a wake up call to the Christians.

Reformation time. Restore the government of faith trusting Christ not seen . . Faith, power to believe the author and finisher

Its not the first time in history that the father of lies caused gender confusion, transsexual .A new kind of alphabet LGBTQ. Some say the same moral corruption when Jesus was here during that period of confusion .

History repeats itself because of moral decay issues. The rise and fall of any empire , family .

Satan the father of lies is not subject to the gospel, he misuses the word of God. He understands the new creation will be sexless .Neither male nor female. . Jew nor Gentile

In that way Gnosticism (secret revelation ) did over throw the faith (Belief) of Christ that worked in them .

Teaching the ressurection on the last day has occurred. Putting a false hope as reincarnation. . You can change your identity to what ever you make believe is true

Government supplied . Tampons in the boys bathroom. Adult teaching children how to use their imagination .It would seem childish children teaching the teachers that never had a childhood how to play make beleive .

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

We can hope he will restore gospel truth and replace childhood. . "Fantasy Island ".. .De Plane. De plane . . .It is not coming wake up smelt the bacon LOL

The Trump sounded the wall were built back up to protect the city of Christ .

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Christ the powerful restorer.

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

 

[Josheb]

"Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

No.

However, there's something in the op that is more specific, and not to be neglected. That specific thing is the "news." First of all, the so called "news" is not news. It is entertainment presented as news. News is supposed to be based in fact, not opinion, and new journalists are required by their code of ethics to be objective (I'll wait while some of you pick yourself up off the floor or wipe the snot of your face that came out unexpectedly when you laughed ). You (and I) watched the news. We watched shows on our televisions that purported to present news to us. Most of those shows are overwhelmingly staffed by individuals who hold left-of-center political views, and their personal views produce a left-of-center product. The opposite is true of sources staffed by right-of-center shows but those are fewer in number than those on the left. I taped Fox, NBC, and ABC broadcasts the evening of the election. I watched Fox most of the night and witched back and forth to see what the other channels were reporting. Fox declared the race almost an hour before the other broadcast.

When I got up in the morning I deliberately listened to CNN, MSN, NPR, and Democracy Now, checking in occasionally on Sputnik and some of the other leftist fringe sources. Those sources vigorously debated the reasons for Trump's victory, with occasional input by the token conservative some shows staff. What the explanation boiled down to is that America is rife with misogynist racists who, along with Alvin Bragg, are to blame. That's correct: Bragg is the designated scapegoat on their side of the "aisle." The problem, you see, is us.

Not once did I hear a single newscaster even remotely mention the news media itself. There was no acknowledgment falsehoods had been reported or facts had been ignored (as one of my favorite talk show hosts likes to say, the greatest power the media has is the power to ignore). The so called "right-wing" or "alternative" news sources would not exist if news was fact-based and reported objectively, and if op-ed commentary was fair and balanced. The closest I heard to any kind of acknowledgment of their own culpability was the acknowledgment the polls were wrong.

Well, if the polls were wrong, then why did you report them?

We did not know they were wrong!​

Is it not your job to know whether or not they are wrong before broadcasting them? After all, some of those polls were run by your news agencies and they were knowingly over-sampled on one side.

Yes, but (insert lie of one's choosing) .​

We are constantly fed falsehoods. These falsehoods are fed to by knowing sources. The falsehoods are knowingly fed to us with an agenda that we think and feel in a given direction........ and then we're blamed if we don't comply.

The HUGE irony is that democracy was practiced Election Day.

We've been told democracy will die if Trump is elected. Trump won both the popular and the electoral vote this time (which has not happened with a Republican candidate since 2004). Democracy was practiced and now democracy is going to die..... and we're to blame, those who practiced democracy have brought about the death of democracy.

Btw, @Hobie, this is a secular form of apocalypticism. It's not much different then the modern futurist apocalypticism found in Christianity.

The Democratic Party can only blame itself for the outcome of this election.

I would like to know which Democrats blamed the Democratic Party and on which show you saw/heard that and the date that occurred. They may say the Democratic Party failed, but the reasons for the failure are not said to be the party itself. The closest that comes to self-accountability and self-accountability is "We failed to convince the voter," which is nothing more than a veiled gaslight. We're to blame because we would not be persuaded. If they'd just tried harder (insinuating their own bias given the fact between 70-80% of all news journalists are Democrats (100% at WaPo and NPR). The Democratic Party and the news media are the same (and the Democratic Party is not democratic).

A stronger, more thoroughly vetted candidate than Kamala Harris could have likely defeated Donald Trump.

Again, I'd like to know which journalists said that.

The general consensus is Harris simply did not have sufficient time to prepare. She was chosen with little more than three months to prepare and win against a populace competitor. That is the "news." Most of us, regardless of our political orientation, think she was picked intentionally for a variety of reasons because it was realized long before she was selected the race was lost. There are, therefore, motives internal to the Democratic Party agenda that a) have nothing to do with her vetting, and b) we're not being told because the news does not and will not report on them. Harris was vetted. She was vetted with purpose. Rich Dems did NOT spend $1 billion on an unvetted candidate. They are not fools.

The voters are the fools. Us and Alvin Bragg, that is.

Kudos to the president on his victory.

Yes, and people of faith who have been praying for him to win should now continue to pray that he does God's will and America serves' God's purpose during his time in office.

 

[Carbon]

So would you call this a divine retribution for the Democrats stand on LGBTQIA2S, and WOKE agenda and Godless ideology?

I don’t know how far I would go to make a call. But think about it, it truly is a blessing I think

 

[Josheb]

While I have concerns about how Trump will begin his second term in office, including whether he’ll be able to bring together a strong Cabinet and top-notch advisers, I have an even more pressing worry:
Whether Democrats will accept the results of this election and come to terms with Trump as president.... "

Opinion: Trump wins again. Will Democrats now practice what they've preached on democracy?

Congratulations to President Donald Trump on his victory. Kamala Harris and Democrats must now help progressives accept the election results.

www.usatoday.com

Ingrid Jacques has conservative bona fides but in her X feed she blamed Harris for Harris' loss (which is true), saying she was a bad candidate (which is also true).

The problem is the mainstream media never reported Harris was a bad candidate and Jacques has to be cautious reporting the facts if she wants to keep her job. Had the op-ed/commentator sources at CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NYTimes, WaPo, NPR and all the rest come out and said, "Harris is a bad candidate," we'd all be having a much different conversation right now. Are we to believe no one in any of those news agencies thought she was a bad candidate? Are we to believe they all thought she was a good candidate? NO! on both accounts! Which means they ALL lied to their customers every hour of every day for 75 days. Let's not forget the US news is a capitalist institution, and their motive is profit. They provide a service for which they get paid through ad revenue. Politically speaking, they are supposed to be an institution that serves as a check and balance on government and they miserably fail at that duty every second of every day.

And Ingrid Jacques did not mention any of the above.

The greatest power they have is the power to ignore.

She has to protect her job, after all. She won't last a day at USA Today if she tells the truth about American news journalism. She's no Scarborough but as far as that USA Today article goes, she's still culpable. The closest she came to an honest report on the news media came at the end of that article.

"Liberals and their allies in the legacy news media have pounded home the message that our elections are safe and secure, and that there is no widespread voter fraud that occurs in U.S. elections."​

The safety and security of the election is not why Harris lost and what Democrats preach on Democracy is often a lie. That lie begins with the fact we do not have a democracy in the US. The US is a constitutional representative republic. That is a form of democratic governance, but it is much different than the democracy Democrats espouse. That lie continues with the fact that in this constitutional representative republic the will of the majority rules with a Constitutionally stipulated obligation to protect the rights of the minority (as stipulated in the Constitution). Since America is divided roughly down the middle politically speaking, the majority of the moment has an obligation to protect the rights of the minority of the moment. That is always the case when the divide is small. In America, 80-85% of the citizenry is theist. Theists get to rule, but not at the expense of minority rights. Christians are overwhelmingly the majority among the theists, so Christians get to rule within the rule of law, which means every Christian voter votes within the obligation to protect the rights of the minority.


When was the last time any of you heard anyone at USA Today (or CNN, MSN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, NYTimes, LATimes, WaPo, Fox, Breitbart, Democracy Now, etc.) report that?


For conservative fundamentalist evangelical Christian this allegiance to the rule of law can pose a real or perceived conflict because the laws of this land do not always comport with scripture (or the political rendering of scripture in any given season). The religion that God honors often conflicts with standards of justice and stewardship and our allegiance to God can conflict with our allegiance to the state. We are citizens in the US but citizens of heaven, in the world but not of the world. This is why Paul wrote,

Romans 13:1-7
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Blessedly, in this country, we get to be active participants in the governing authorities. Unblessedly, that scares a lot of people, and the chief reason it scares a lot of people is because the news lies all day long every day and we do not do a lot about it.

 

[Josheb]

So would you call this a divine retribution for the Democrats stand on LGBTQIA2S, and WOKE agenda and Godless ideology?

I don’t know how far I would go to make a call. But think about it, it truly is a blessing I think

No, I would not call this divine retribution for the Democrats' stand on LGBTQIAA2S, the woke agenda, and godless ideology.


Consider the following. It's shocking to most conservative Christians, but it is the facts of scripture.

The Bible condemns same-sex sex and homosexuality (it's not called homosexuality but that is what it the self-identification as one preferring same-sex sex is). The Bible does not discriminate between the two. Our society does. In the Bible. especially the Old Testament, same-sex sex is a capital crime, meaning a person caught in that act could be killed. However, in order for someone committing a capital crime to be convicted of the capital crime and punishment meted out..... the crime had to be established by two or more witnesses. This is God's law, as stated by God. What this means is God implicitly knew, and God implicitly permitted same-sex sex acts to go unpunished unless and until they were observed by two or more people .

When was the last time you saw two or more people having same-sex sex? When was the last time you saw that with one or more fellow witnesses?

Do you think many Christians realize they're being disobedient to the law when they appeal to the OT law as a standard but act in a manner inconsistent with the laws governing same-sex sex?

Remember: in a constitutional representative republic where the majority rules according to the rule of law rules and that law requires the rights of the minority to be protected. We don't always get to rule as we might otherwise wish, and we most definitely would not want to rule in contradiction to God's rules or reign.


Besides, with the new covenant the rules of divine retribution have changed and it's only the modern futurists who still think in OT retributional ways. The NT standard can be found in passages like Romans 12:9-21, 1 Peter 4, James 1:26-27, and Colossians 4:5-6.

 

[Carbon]

No, I would not call this divine retribution for the Democrats' stand on LGBTQIAA2S, the woke agenda, and godless ideology.


Consider the following. It's shocking to most conservative Christians, but it is the facts of scripture.

The Bible condemns same-sex sex and homosexuality (it's not called homosexuality but that is what it the self-identification as one preferring same-sex sex is). The Bible does not discriminate between the two. Our society does. In the Bible. especially the Old Testament, same-sex sex is a capital crime, meaning a person caught in that act could be killed. However, in order for someone committing a capital crime to be convicted of the capital crime and punishment meted out..... the crime had to be established by two or more witnesses. This is God's law, as stated by God. What this means is God implicitly knew, and God implicitly permitted same-sex sex acts to go unpunished unless and until they were observed by two or more people .

When was the last time you saw two or more people having same-sex sex? When was the last time you saw that with one or more fellow witnesses?

Do you think many Christians realize they're being disobedient to the law when they appeal to the OT law as a standard but act in a manner inconsistent with the laws governing same-sex sex?

Remember: in a constitutional representative republic where the majority rules according to the rule of law rules and that law requires the rights of the minority to be protected. We don't always get to rule as we might otherwise wish, and we most definitely would not want to rule in contradiction to God's rules or reign.


Besides, with the new covenant the rules of divine retribution have changed and it's only the modern futurists who still think in OT retributional ways. The NT standard can be found in passages like Romans 12:9-21, 1 Peter 4, James 1:26-27, and Colossians 4:5-6.

Maybe I misunderstood the question. But be clear, I do not support lgbtqs or anything of the kind. Nor do I support same sex marriages. Be clear of that.

 

[Josheb]

Maybe I misunderstood the question. But be cleear, I do not support lgbtqs or anything of the kind. Nor do I support same sex marriages. Be clear of that.

Neither do I.

 

[Hobie]

I would call it a wake up call to the Christians.

Reformation time. Restore the government of faith trusting Christ not seen . . Faith, power to believe the author and finisher

Its not the first time in history that the father of lies caused gender confusion, transsexual .A new kind of alphabet LGBTQ. Some say the same moral corruption when Jesus was here during that period of confusion .

History repeats itself because of moral decay issues. The rise and fall of any empire , family .

Satan the father of lies is not subject to the gospel, he misuses the word of God. He understands the new creation will be sexless .Neither male nor female. . Jew nor Gentile

In that way Gnosticism (secret revelation ) did over throw the faith (Belief) of Christ that worked in them .

Teaching the ressurection on the last day has occurred. Putting a false hope as reincarnation. . You can change your identity to what ever you make believe is true

Government supplied . Tampons in the boys bathroom. Adult teaching children how to use their imagination .It would seem childish children teaching the teachers that never had a childhood how to play make beleive .

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 2:18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

We can hope he will restore gospel truth and replace childhood. . "Fantasy Island ".. .De Plane. De plane . . .It is not coming wake up smelt the bacon LOL

The Trump sounded the wall were built back up to protect the city of Christ .

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

Christ the powerful restorer.

Isaiah 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Well, even they know their Woke ideology was a mistake now..
"Political strategist and commentator James Carville blamed Vice President Kamala Harris' loss on her party's failure to distance itself from "woke era" politics....

During the most recent episode of his Politics War Room podcast, Carville outlined the "big, big mistakes" he believed the Democratic Party had made in the 2024 presidential election.

Carville said what "killed" the Democrats in these elections was a "sense of dishonor" among the electorate, part of which, he said, "was the unfortunate events of what I would refer to as the woke era."

"We got beyond it," he said. "But the image stuck in people's minds that the Democrats wanted to defund the police, wanted to empty prisons...it created a sense of dishonor."

Carville also cited the party's initial support for President Joe Biden to run for reelection and the process of choosing another candidate following his withdrawal in July.

"By Biden staying in so late, we didn't have any process," Carville said. "We had all of this unused [talent] sitting on the sideline."

Carville was remarking on Harris's near-immediate ascendance to the top of the party's ticket, bypassing the competitive nomination process that candidates traditionally have to undertake. This decision, criticized by some as undemocratic, has been touted by others as contributing to the vice president's eventual defeat.

"If we'd had some kind of an open process, it would have been much better," Carville added. "It could have been worse, but it could have been much better."

Carville, who coined the axiom, "It's the economy, stupid," ahead of Bill Clinton's victory in the 1992 election, also cited inflation as an additional "sign of dishonor" for voters.

Despite occasionally voicing disapproval at elements of her strategy, Carville had been a crusader for Harris throughout the election and was one of the most prominent voices forecasting her win.

In his October 23 op-ed for The New York Times, "Three Reasons I'm Certain Kamala Harris Will Win," Carville wrote: "America, it will all be OK. Ms. Harris will be elected the next president of the United States. Of this, I am certain."

As evidence, Carville cited the "losing streak" the Republican Party, including Trump, had endured since 2018, Harris's fundraising abilities, and his own political instinct—"It's just a feeling."...

Among the other sayings employed by Carville during Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign was that elections were won and lost on the promise of "change vs. more of the same." He said the Harris team had failed to pay attention to this "basic fundamental of politics."

"Change is what wins elections," Carville said before appearing to cite a recent NBC News poll finding that 65 percent of registered voters viewed the country as "on the wrong track."

"In a 65 percent wrong-track country, we were offering people the same track," Carville said....."

 

[Hobie]

I don’t know how far I would go to make a call. But think about it, it truly is a blessing I think

Well, the real issue is they are still trying to rush through their ideology and Woke agenda and lock it in, so that Trump cannot change it. Take a look..

"Elizabeth Warren Spells Out What Democrats Must Do 'With Urgency’ Before Trump Takes Power
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Thursday unveiled her plan for Democrats “to fight back” following Donald Trump’s decisive election win.
In an essay published by Time magazine, Warren detailed how lawmakers must “fight every fight in Congress,” Trump must be taken on “in the courts” and everyone should “focus on what each of us can do.”

Warren concluded, though, by saying that “Democrats currently in office must work with urgency.”
“While still in charge of the Senate and the White House, we must do all we can to safeguard our democracy,” she wrote. Warren urged Pentagon leaders to “issue a directive now reiterating that the military’s oath is to the Constitution.”
And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) must “use every minute of the end-of-year legislative session to confirm federal judges and key regulators—none of whom can be removed by the next President,” she added...

Here is more.."

First, fight every fight in Congress.​

We won’t always win, but we can slow or sometimes limit Trump’s destruction. With every fight, we can build political power to put more checks on his administration and build the foundation for future wins. Remember that during the first Trump term, mass mobilization—including some of the largest peaceful protests in world history—was the battery that charged the resistance. There is power in solidarity, and we can’t win if we don’t get in the fight.

During the Trump years, Congress stepped up its oversight of his unprecedented corruption and abuses of power. In the Senate, Democrats gave no quarter to radical Trump nominees; we asked tough questions and held the Senate floor for hours to slow down confirmation and expose Republican extremism. These tactics doomed some nominations entirely, laid the groundwork for other cabinet officials to later resign in disgrace, and brought scrutiny that somewhat constrained Trump’s efforts.

When all this work came together, we won some of the toughest fights. Remember Republicans’ attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act? Democrats did not have the votes to stop the repeal. Nevertheless, we fought on. Patients kept up a relentless rotation of meetings in Congress, activists in wheelchairs performed civil disobedience, and lawmakers used every tactic possible—late night speeches, forums highlighting patient stories, committee reports, and procedural tactics—to draw attention to the Republican repeal effort. This sustained resistance ultimately shifted the politics of health care repeal. The final vote was a squeaker, but Republicans lost and the ACA survived.

Democrats should also acknowledge that seeking a middle ground with a man who calls immigrants “animals” and says he will “protect” women “whether the women like it or not” is unlikely to land in a good place. Uniting against Trump’s legislative agenda is good politics because it is good policy. It was Democratic opposition to Trump’s tax bill that drove Trump’s approval ratings to what was then the lowest levels of his administration, forcing Republicans to scrap all mention of the law ahead of the 2018 midterm election and helping spark one of the largest blue waves in recent history.

Second, fight Trump in the courts.​

Yes, extremist courts, including a Supreme Court stocked with MAGA loyalists, are poised to rubber-stamp Trump’s lawlessness. But litigation can slow Trump down, give us time to prepare and help the vulnerable, and deliver some victories.

Third, focus on what each of us can do.​

I understand my assignment in the Senate, but we all have a part to play. During the first Trump administration, Democrats vigorously contested every special election and laid the groundwork to take back the House in the 2018 midterms, creating a powerful check on Trump and breaking the Republican trifecta. Whether it’s stepping up to run for office, supporting a neighbor’s campaign, or getting involved in an organization taking action, we all have to continue to make investments in our democracy—including in states that are passed over as “too red.” The political position we’re in is not permanent, and we have the power to make change if we fight for it.

Finally, Democrats currently in office must work with urgency.​

While still in charge of the Senate and the White House, we must do all we can to safeguard our democracy. To resist Trump’s threats to abuse state power against what he calls “the enemy within,” Pentagon leaders should issue a directive now reiterating that the military’s oath is to the Constitution. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer must use every minute of the end-of-year legislative session to confirm federal judges and key regulators—none of whom can be removed by the next President.

To those feeling despair: I understand. But remember, every step toward progress in American history came after the darkness of defeat. Abolitionists, suffragettes, Dreamers, and marchers for civil rights and marriage equality all faced impossible odds, but they persisted. Now it is our turn to pull up our socks and get back in the fight....."