Wouldn't it be great if we all, as citizens, could be on a kind of "first name" basis with those candidates seeking to lead the nation? Wouldn't it be great if we could simply whip out a letter, when we had a thought, and have the candidates respond?
Ideally, that is what democratic self-government has to shoot for. Ideas about what our government should do ought to come from the "bottom up," don't you think, instead of from the "top down"?
Such "idealism" reminds me of a Beatles song: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one!"
As the campaign for the presidency really gets going, as the Democratic Party meets in Chicago, starting next week, this is the kind of letter that I'd like to sign (along with others, from around the country, who have similar views):
Dear Vice-President Harris:
We are politically-engaged people from all around the country - and we want you to know how inspired and energized we are by your candidacy for President.
We will all be working for your election in November – and we will be contributing, too! Note that some of us are from Minnesota. Every one of us – not just the Minnesotans – are both impressed and delighted by your selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to serve as your Vice President! Congratulations to a wonderful team!
We are not expecting that this campaign, and your victory in November, is going to be easy, though we are very encouraged by everything so far! We hope you will continue as you have begun:
- Continue to emphasize that it is “WE,” together – the American people, across all divisions, including those of race, gender, income level, education, geographic location and political party – who can achieve any goal to which we dedicate ourselves. Your campaign is, so far, and should continue to be, the exact opposite of any assertion that “I, alone, can fix it.”
- Here is what we hear you saying, and we like what we hear: “We have huge problems, make no mistake, and I am not here to tell you that ‘I, alone, can fix them.’ I am here to tell you that WE, TOGETHER, can fix our problems, and that’s what I am going to work for - with you – and that is what we will do - together!”
- Please continue to be positive, as you have been, and call us all, the entire nation, to deal with the challenges and opportunities ahead. Please don’t be seduced into trying to prove, by way of comparison, how stupid and worthless the Trump-Vance program is. It is, of course, both stupid and worthless, but “comparisons are odious,” and trying to match insult with insult is a losing battle, and especially when you try to match insults with Donald Trump.
- Continue to be, and demonstrate in every way, the truth that you and Governor Walz are what Wordsworth has called a pair of “Happy Warriors.” That “Joy” thing works! Emphasize the difficult challenges ahead, but not in tones of distress and dread. Just as in the challenging and difficult period of the Civil Rights Movement, we can, with great joy, “Overcome.” Now, at a time of challenges at home and around the world, we can and will achieve great things together.
- We hope you will mention, in the way we have just outlined, the immense challenges of Global Warming, and our need to transition our nation to energy sources that won’t put the entire planet in peril. We hope you will emphasize our need to address, and overcome, the impacts that income inequality has made so clear. We need to make critically-needed health care available to all. We need to provide education for our young people without saddling them with enormous debts. We need to make sure that everyone who wants a job will find a job, a worthwhile job, and contribute to the building up of our nation, and no person in this country should be sleeping on the streets.
We are so delighted that you are running. Thank you!
- We hope you will say that you will never stop working to eliminate the threat of nuclear war, and that you will never rest until current wars – including in Palestine – are brought to an end. That needs to happen! STAT!
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