1. Props for the word play, but @RichLowry relegating outrage and opposition to Trump as a maneuver torn from a political playbook is recklessly obtuse.
politico.com/magazine/story…
politico.com/magazine/story…
2. He's absolutely right that the #Democrats need to focus on policy issues, but in ADDITION TO not INSTEAD OF Trump's actions and investigations. And, yes, in the 2016 election we failed to do that. Consistently unsettled by his behavior, we were stuck against the ropes.
3. It's not easy. As a voice of political activism, it's overwhelming. Keeping actionable focus on policy while still giving perspective and analysis on the inevitable 'shock of the day' feels like herding cats, but risking the normalization of the Trump era is unconscionable.
4. The 2016 election and its aftermath taught us something about our country we weren't prepared to realize. We are a vulnerable nation. And not just in the sense of election integrity, but our democracy, our reputation, our national identity and collective conscience.
5. The very fabric of our nation is torn and changing. #MAGA, especially Bannonites, would likely say that's what they wanted, but they're missing the bigger picture. The attack against our country was multi-faceted and highly successful. We were manipulated into self-sabatoge.
6. Now we're caught up in a free-fall of vulgar chaos and self-inflicted wounds as we scramble to make sense of where we are, how we got here and how we fix it. As I've said before, we won't come through unscathed -as a country or as individuals.
7. Look no further than the #GOP to see how insidious this attack truly was. They sit in a cauldron of greed, self-protection, ethical and moral compromise -fixated on an outcome they know holds equal promise of success or destruction for their party -the country a mere casualty.
8. What about America? How are we doing? Not good. We're in crisis - both existential and epistemological. America - the icon of freedom and democracy, the safe-haven of the oppressed, the land of opportunity, the melting-pot. How we've changed in just one year.
9. How can we set the standard for democracy when our democratic system failed? When the views of the majority are being ignored? How can we be a respected leader in this world when we are failing to address this failure as our highest priority?
10. A #POTUS who embarrasses our nation daily, lies by the minute, demonizes the press, intelligence and law enforcement, sows discord, utilizes the tools of authoritarian regimes -convincing his supporters to believe only his own propaganda. We know where this leads.
11. The 'highest voice in the nation' uses the vernacular of racism and nationalism and freely capitalizes on fear. We've seen how this has emboldened white-supremacist groups. Immigrant families are being torn apart - our neighbors who are contributing members of our community.
12. A blatant misogynist with a lifetime of public anti-woman soundbytes accused of sexual harassment, assault, even rape holds our most honored office, spawning the #MeToo movement. And, good for women, but this line in the sand must be on all fronts.
13. Anti-science, 'fake-news', racism, sexism, nationalism, walls, lies, bans, bans and more bans. All while news of election interference, business deals, inappropriate meetings and ethical breeches pepper the news, dogging an unqualified and unapproved administration.
14. No, none of this is normal and allowing it to become normal is dangerous. Unlike the GOP, we must look out for the health of the country, not just in terms of policy, but in terms of our culture and identity. We have no choice, we have to be able to fight this on all fronts.
