Georgia Dems Pulling Ahead: Why This Would Be a Great Thing for America
By: Peter Froehlich
Tags: America, Politics, Georgia, Democracy, Voting

Latest polls from FiveThirtyEight (12/12) show Georgians leaning toward both Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate. Well within the margin of error, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are trending as Georgia’s choice, in line with their choice and America’s choice for the White House.

Should these trends hold, then Georgians may be the ones to finally “un-break” Washington for us, to end the reign of terror and dysfunction of the Grim Reaper’s GOP, and if our American history is any guide, they may get the credit for kicking off another century of world-leading American growth and economic dominance.

Reaching across the aisle is not easy. If it were, we would already have four-day work weeks and two-months mandatory vacation each year. But for our system to work, that is exactly what is called for: It falls to us, the America voters, to make the tough decisions. Not Washington.

The GOP of Sens. Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham and President Donald Trump would all have us forget our history and despise our heritage. They would have us disregard our Greatest Generations’ leadership and judgment. And they have vowed to work against the proven nation-building strategies that made us Great in the first place, as an unrivaled military and world-leading economic power: McConnell himself having said repeatedly that if he remains in control of our nation’s Senate, the GOP will continue to undermine progressive nation-building thinking and block all Blue-penned legislature from our House of Representatives. He has proudly promised to keep breaking Washington for us.

As early voting in Georgia begins this week and runs through January 5, we should all consider the example of our Greatest Generations: How we voted, when we voted to tackle the greatest challenges we ever faced.

We lived and prevailed through World War I, and a deadly pandemic, and after a decade of partying and profit-taking, like no one was watching, our ‘roaring twenties’, we plummeted into the Great Depression. From that point, possibly our lowest point in recent history, we acted decisively. As one people. With one voice. And one will.

After years of Red Waves in Washington, we made a course correction to the other party. And we did not do so mildly. We did so overwhelmingly up and down the ticket and all across the country. Voting in the new party to the White House and flipping both the House and Senate — into alignment with the new administration — by an over 60% majority across both houses in one election. And by over 70% majority in a second, midterm election.

Saying as Americans: Our will be done. We need a new Leader. And a new Strategy. For a new century. For the challenges that we face now and for the challenges that lie ahead. And we need a new team to move with a purpose to enact that strategy. Our chosen strategy. Without delay and without any more crosstalk. Now get to work.

70% of the country did not suddenly become Blue overnight. No one abandoned or even altered their beliefs. Instead when We were Great we knew how to move with a discipline and with a self-determination all too rare today: We know how to make an executive decision amongst ourselves, as the leaders of a great nation, to reach across the aisle to pull ourselves together as one People to pull the lever to move the country in a new direction: in one direction.

Yes we decided to back the nation-building and long-term investment strategies of the Blue party to lead the country out of the Great Depression, through a second World War, and to the greatest heights we ever reached; to the Moon and starts and into cyberspace.

But more importantly we decided not to send the country in two or more directions at once, sending in mixed messages to various players on the field and then a few half-hearted defenders of the quarterback. And we displayed Warren Buffet-like discipline and long-term vision — standing by our choice for decades as our decisions bore fruit.

In a word, when We were Great, we knew how to lead.

Our fellow Americans in Georgia have a rare chance to do just that. A rare chance for their voices to be heard above all others in the coming days. A singular chance to ensure that our voices are heard over and above those of the Partisan squabbles in Washington in the coming years. Our neighbors in the Peach State can choose between aligning our Senate with the President and the strategy that we all fired — or — aligning it with our choice and theirs for the Future. America’s decision to Build Back Better.

If it be the former, then we deserve what we get. More of the same.

If it be the latter, however, then we may finally get what we deserve. Another century of world-leading firsts, as we won for ourselves in the last century, when we charted a new path for ourselves and when we backed a new party to lead discussions for us in Congress, in both the House and Senate — with our full-throated support. When our voices were united and heard across the country, giving clear marching orders to Washington: to get things done. That Our will be done. As one People.

There is of course a simple logic to “hiring” nation builders to oversee the long-term investments and strategic planning for a great nation. Lawmaking, policy making research, and strategic analysis are deadly dull, and no one is as dull as a Democrat. But there is also a feed-the-bulldog logic to ‘dancing with the girl that brought ya’ the same kind of string of decades of sustained success and economic growth that we are all looking for and all voting for today. All of which, as we move ahead, is worth considering.

But no matter the choices. No matter the polling data, past voting behavior, party affiliations, or likely outcomes, as our fellow Americans weigh options, and as they choose, and as each and every one of their votes are counted in the days following, we can say this: Our thoughts and the prayers of a great nation are with them.

Because there is one thing that we all know for sure: The only ones who benefit from continued partisan gridlock in Washington, a divided nation, and contrarian wishy-washy “left-and-right” flip-flopping mixed mandates are our adversaries and our competition overseas, such as China and Russia, and all other players on the stage who would rather see America weakened, squabbling amongst ourselves, silencing ourselves, and ignoring our history as they grow stronger.