Thread by @kazweida

The drama in the democratic primary has me thinking & I want to share the story of my political evolution with you.

I don’t know if it’ll be helpful as we try to avoid divisions incited by a foreign entity but it’s worth a shot.

In 2000, I cast my vote for GW Bush.
(Thread)

(2) Those of you who know me probably gasped at that but it’s true. It was the first time I ever voted and what I knew about politics at that time could fit into a thimble.

GW had a folksy appeal. I had read a profile that painted him as a maverick of sorts.

(3) I was quite young (late 20s) & came from a religious, conservative background. I’d struggled with extreme poverty as a teacher and all I knew was not matter what I did, I couldn’t get ahead

The system was broken & GW seemed like a political outsider who could shake things up

(4) Why on earth I though that a man that was part of a political dynasty whose Dad had been President was an outsider is unfathomable to me now.

But I was what we might term a “low info” voter at the time and I had this bizarre idea I could trust my instincts about people.

(5) The folksy veneer of GW wore off fast. And while I wasn’t exactly thrilled with his Presidency, I still wasn’t paying much attention.

Then 9/11 happened. And the world turned upside down.

And I watched a Republican administration stoke divisions & hate & launch us into war.

(6) I started paying attention. To the Patriot Act and privacy issues. To people disappearing into CIA black box sites. To waterboarding and torture. To Valerie Plame.

It hit me like a freight train. Instead of tuning out, I started tuning in and what I saw was terrifying.

(7) In 2004 I voted for John Kerry. And seethed through another four years of GW’s stupid nicknames, Cheney’s machinations, and watched the rise of religious fundamentalism take root in politics.

When Obama took that stage in 2008, I wept with relief.

(8) Sure I still paid some attention to politics for the next eight years, but I was also busy having babies and trying to pay back student loans.

The battle for healthcare gripped the nation. Our progress was halting, hampered by an obstructionist, tea party Congress.

(9) I was grateful to Obama for what he was able to accomplish, but I saw the income inequality in this country and knew capitalism was slowly killing us. Citizens United. The mortgage crisis.

When Bernie Sanders entered the presidential race preaching revolution, it resonated.

(10) I voted for Bernie in the 2016 primary, still blissfully unaware of anything beyond his support for Medicare for all and some fuzzy idea he was a progressive champion.

I knew nothing about his actual record or policies but the youthful support for his campaign convinced me.

(11) When Trump started gaining momentum, I didn’t worry at first. He was a clown. But as his rhetoric began to intensify, I grew worried at the racism and hatred spilling out of his rallies.

At the same time, the Democratic Party seemed to be pulling apart at the seams.

(12) For the first time I actually looked at policies and platforms. What I found as I engaged more online was a stew of misogyny behind Sanders campaign that startled me with its toxicity.

The intensity and irrationality of the hatred they directed at Clinton turned my stomach.

(13) Her platform was quite simply beautiful. So detailed and obviously the product of decades spent doing the actual work both in the executive office and in Congress.

And it was then that I realized something. It’s easy to stand on the outside and point fingers and cast blame.

(14) It’s incredibly difficult to create coalitions, to compromise & to keep up the fight one bill & one election at a time. True progressive policy requires perseverance, not purity tests & ultimatums. It means decades spent doing the work

When Trump won, I rolled up my sleeves

(15) It wasn’t enough to stay on the sidelines shouting about revolution anymore. I needed to do my part. I started researching and becoming an engaged citizen. I found my way to Twitter

I hope I’ve done some small part to help counter disinformation and speak truth to power.

(16) It’s 2020 now and we’re facing what appears to be a repeat of the divisions that spelled disaster in 2016. And all I can tell you is what I know from experience.

We were successful in 2018 when we compromised and worked together, not when we pointed fingers and cast blame.

(17) We ran the candidates we knew could win in districts that were right for them. When it made sense to lean progressive, we did. When it didn’t, we worked to find a candidate we could compromise on.

That’s coalition building. That’s a united front. That’s how we win elections

(18) Look leaders that build bridges instead of pointing fingers. That embrace accountability instead of casting blame. Who don’t focus on what someone else is doing wrong but on what they can do better.

Look for responses that reflect humility & willingness to do the work.

(19) That’s what I’ve learned in 20 decades of politics, from Republican to Democrat to Progressive to Independent voter and back again.

If it’s helpful to you, awesome.
If not, go back to enjoying your weekend.

Cheers fellow citizens
I’m looking forward to a Trump free 2021.