John,
In the midst of the continuing post-election barrage of finger-pointing, theories, opinions, and observations by pundits, pollsters, strategists, and political leaders, what remains etched in my mind are some of the conversations I had with voters around the state as I knocked on doors over the past year to promote and get out the vote for our Democratic Party-endorsed candidates. These conversations were laden with voter sentiments ranging from anger and disdain to resignation and indifference.
Three conversations still stand out. The first with a woman, a former 20-year county employee, who lost her right to disability benefits after suffering a stroke when no one could assist with curing her application. After returning to work, she was terminated because of the limitations from her stroke, which severely curtailed her pension. Constantly teary from the after-effect of her stroke, she told me defiantly she is not voting. "Government is corrupt," she said. "They don't help people like me."
Another, a woman caring for her two grandchildren, took no convincing about voting. She likes to vote in-person because receiving the I Voted sticker from a poll worker is a badge of honor. She hopes that "they will stop making voting so hard," questioning why the ballot is so long with issues she does not understand. She is adamant about not voting the entire ballot, just on the candidates and issues she understands and cares about.
The third, a man who has worked various jobs since being laid off as a construction site inspector, is not voting. He is leaving California. "I'm done. You win. I don't want to die here on the streets. The only thing I have left is my dignity."
As our elected leaders gear up for the Trump resistance, of course we all must work together to shield the rights and protections that stand to be stripped by the incoming administration. But let's be clear --- this is not a proxy to address our current failures to govern, to do the work of improving people's lives. This work will become even more challenging when anticipated immigration policies, tariff rules, and worker protections exacerbate inflation, further untethering more among us from being able to make things add up.
We failed to listen.
We failed to deliver.
We failed to take care of each other.
Resisting is not enough. As Democrats continue hand-wringing over where we go from here, we must listen to the ground truths of the daily lives of Californians.
Ambition is not enough. Taking actions to deliver results and inviting strict accountability for these results demonstrate our commitment to do the work to uplift the lives of all among us.
Hope not fear must be the driver. Listening. Delivering. Taking care of each other. Finding strength in community. It is time to rebuild communities that have been ignored whether by our political party or the economy as a whole. Let’s face it; resisting is not rebuilding, and what we heard on November 5th was a desire to rebuild lives.
Together,
Betty
