I’ve been so impressed with the many ways my politically active friends and neighbors stepped up to help ensure a Biden victory: from writing letters and postcards to phone banking to serving as election workers and poll monitors. It’s been inspiring!
So now that the Orange One will be leaving the White House, all is good, yes? We’re done?
Not quite.
To ensure the progressive political shift many of us hope to see in this country, we still have a lot of work to do over the next two years. Here’s why.
Priority 1: All Hands on Deck for the Georgia Senate Races
First and foremost, before Biden even gets inaugurated, there’s the matter of the runoff Senate races in Georgia. Democrats DESPERATELY need these two seats in the Congress. Assuming Alaska and North Carolina both go Republican, picking up these two seats in Georgia would allow Democrats to control the Senate (a 50-50 split, with Kamala Harris as the tiebreaker), which is key to confirming cabinet members and judges, passing a meaningful Coronavirus relief bill, and finally improving healthcare.
If these two Senate seats stay in Republican control, Mitch McConnell will be able to block essentially every piece of legislation Biden wants – just as he did for the last 6 years of the Obama presidency.
Don’t let this happen. First and foremost, campaigns (sadly) take a lot of money, so donate to either the DNC or the runoff candidates directly in Georgia if you’re able to. Then sign up (if you haven’t already) for sites like Swing Left, Indivisible and Mobilize.us in order to find letter-writing, phone and text banking opportunities, and other actions you can participate in.
If you’re close to friends and family in Georgia, start talking to them about the run-off. How, when, and where will they plan to vote? Check in with them regularly to make sure their voting plan comes to fruition.
Follow some experienced Georgia leaders who’ve done a great job improving voter registration in the state, like Stacie Abrams. A big push will likely be around getting soon-to-be 18 year olds in the Peach state registered: as long as they will turn 18 by January 5th, 2021, they are eligible to vote in the runoff so long as they register by December 7th.
Oh, and if you want to be REALLY helpful, and let’s say maybe you work for a company that says you can work for anywhere in 2021 due to Coronavirus? You could also consider up and moving to Georgia. (You’ll have to do it soon, though, the voter registration deadline for the runoff is December 7th.) That would allow you to vote yourself in the race AND signup for in-person actions and poll-working shifts, which are much needed.
Priority 2: Get Cozy With Your Own Reps
The first priority of the new administration is going to be appointing the Cabinet positions, and if Democrats don’t manage to pick up those two Georgia seats, expect it to be a nasty fight.
You can help, though, by making sure your own Senators know where you stand on this and other issues. Especially if your Senators are incumbent Republicans, you can start letting them know now that you expect them to confirm all reasonable Cabinet nominees when the time comes.
This is actually a good trial run for you to get in the habit of talking with your representatives, as you’ll likely be doing it a lot over the next couple years, asking them to support or oppose various pieces of legislation.
When reaching out to your reps, remember that actions that take more effort produce more effort. While it can be really tempting to just text Resistbot and let them fax a message for you, you’re better off calling in yourself, attending a Town Hall, scheduling a District office visit, and seeking your rep out at public events they’re attending.
And if you’re lucky enough to find yourself living in an area with Democratic reps, you can also let them know what you hope to see from the next Congress – what issues are most important to you. Even better, follow up that request with a question of how you can help that rep to make it happen.
Priority 3: Get Coronavirus Under Control
The longer Covid-19 stays out of control, the more harm it is going to do to both people’s health and the economy at large. Biden’s going to need to try to get this under control quickly – and you can help.
Stay home as much as possible. Yes, I realize you want to “get back to normal”, but every time you leave your house and interact with others, you are increasing the risk of the virus spreading. Continue to support local businesses instead via delivery and curbside pickup options.
If your holiday plans involve your family or friends coming together in person from various different households, seriously, SERIOUSLY re-think those plans and if they’re really necessary. If you decide they are, make sure everyone completes a hardcore 10 day quarantine beforehand.
Wear a mask whenever you leave the house, and wear it correctly. No exceptions. And when a vaccine comes out and Fauci says it’s safe? Get the damn vaccine. Tell everyone else you know to get the damn vaccine. If it’s a multi-stage vaccine (meaning you have to get a series of shots over time, rather than just a one-time deal), make sure you stay up-to-date and current on each booster. And until that time? Make sure you’ve gotten your flu shot too.
The sooner Coronavirus is under control in America, the quicker Biden and his administration can turn to rolling back all the horrible things Trump has done to the country.
Priority 4: The Midterms
I know, I know: you just finished an election you don’t want to immediately start thinking about another one! Here’s the problem: midterm elections are NOTORIOUSLY bad for the party of the sitting president. They almost always will lose significant seats in Congress.
Democrats will need to do all they can to prevent that from happening, and ideally, try to even flip more seats over their way. It means you really don’t get a break.
In year one, focus on enlarging the voter base – useful actions include becoming a deputy voter registrar in your state so you can help others register, becoming more proficient in a non-English language so that you can help turnout native speakers of that language, and if possible, continuing to donate to a group like the DNC on a monthly basis to help them set their midterm candidates up for success.
And perhaps, you might even consider running for something yourself.
In year two, once candidates have been announced, the focus will shift to mobilizing voters. Again, look to organizations like Swing Left, Indivisible and Mobilize.us for actions you can participate in, as well as to your own county or state Democratic party office.
Then, of course, vote. Make sure your friends and family all vote. Help advocate for the importance of voting in midterms. Using apps like the Vote Joe app, you can actually look up friends to see their voting history – find the ones who traditionally skip the midterms and talk with them 1:1 about their voting plan. It’ll be up to all of us to reverse the Midterm curse.
So there you have it. It’s not quite the vacation from politics you may have been hoping for. But with continued efforts like these, you can help make sure the country you wake up in two years from now is still one you want to live in. And that’s worth something.
