Faulkner Was Right*

By Zamboni

Holy smokes, what a rough night last night. It's not that we weren't ready for it: The media had been beating the pro-Youngkin drums for months. But we can't place all the blame on the press, as culpable and disappointing as they are. The Virginia results boil down to this: Never underestimate the power of American racism.

So, what do Democrats do? We need to reckon with the fact that the GOP has what Greg Sargent of The Washington Post calls a "carefully targeted subterranean communications strategy" — fueled by right-wing cable networks and aimed very specifically at white people. Until we figure out how to counter that, we will lose.

But another thing we can do is continue to pass legislation that will make a difference in people's lives. Let's vaccinate kids, get them back in school, and end these silly mask wars. Let's fix the supply chain. Let's pass Biden's agenda and get cracking on climate. (We'd say let's pass voting rights, too, but the GOP has just blocked it again.)

Maybe delivering for people will help them forget their own worst instincts. But even if not, and Democrats still get punished at the ballot box, we'll go down knowing that we did the right things for America. (Like confirming all those fabulous judges.) We cats PURR.

*("The past is never dead. It's not even past.")