Hello John,
The hits keep on coming, and the news pundits continue to discuss what we did wrong. The vast majority of the people you see on TV talking about election strategy have not knocked on a single door this cycle, perhaps not ever. What did we do wrong? That’s an easy question to answer: we did not listen to the people. In business, there's a saying: the customer is always right. In politics, it can be said that the voter is always right. The absolute worst thing we can do right now is to turn on our fellow citizens, label them all as racists, and use that as an excuse.
Sometimes, friends and family ask me how I am still a Democrat, with still being the key word. My response is that I have never changed. I believe in equality for all. I believe we should do right by our senior citizens and that healthcare should be a right for everyone, not a privilege for the lucky few. I believe the government has a mandate to protect its citizens and pave the way for them to live successful lives. As Democrats, it is shameful that when we mention things like Medicare for All, we are ostracized by the corporate elite, who are unfortunately very influential in our party apparatus.
No Dem Left Behind is a grassroots organization, which means it's much harder to keep the lights on, but it also means we are free to speak our minds when needed. About one week before President Biden stepped down from the race, we were among the very first organizations to call on him to step aside and have VP Kamala Harris take over the top of the ticket. When we did this, we were targeted by a powerful group on social media, many of whom have millions of followers, who wanted to see us canceled. Their message was clear: F**k you, traitors.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder—if Democrats treat other Democrats this way, how do they respond to Republicans or independents? I was sick to my stomach, angry, and saddened, especially since some of these people were colleagues I had worked with and personally knew. We withstood that assault, and privately, we were flooded with messages of support. My regret? I wish we had spoken out sooner. We were hearing from voters every day about their concerns, from the genocide America was funding to the lack of accountability for the rising costs of living.
At the Democratic National Convention, what was portrayed on TV was very different from what was happening on the ground. The week was filled with VIP-exclusive events and lots of glitz and glamour. The convention was also attended by organizers and leaders who were deeply uncomfortable with the party’s leadership. The disgraceful decision not to acknowledge Palestinian concerns at the DNC will require significant effort to mend. When we saw the protesters, we told them we stood with them and that we were trying to get the decision-makers to hear us out, but they never did. We did not lose this election because we listened to our base; we lost because we betrayed our base and courted the Cheneys, praising war criminals as American patriots. You will never beat a Republican by ignoring your base.
Moving forward, we are going to be vocal about our concerns and will demand changes at the very top. We are going to remind America that Democrats are the party of the working class—because we are. Before defeating Trump, we have to get our act together. If we don’t, I don’t need to paint a picture for you; you can decipher that for yourself.
As always, in solidarity,
Hassan
