Hi, John.

Yesterday, I found myself repeatedly apologizing to my kids as my wife and I huddled with them and watched the siege of the Capitol building. “I’m so sorry, kids, that you’re seeing this. This is not the way our democracy is supposed to work. You’re not old enough to know it, but this is not the way.” It was a violent, poisonous, deadly, heartbreaking scene.

It was also not accidental. It was the direct consequence of many factors, some of which stretch back for decades, that have degraded the institutions, laws, norms, and trust necessary to uphold a democratic republic. It was also the result of direct and insidious incitement by President Trump, whose false and dangerous messaging these past several months have been supported and perpetuated by several members of Congress.
There will be more time in the future to lay out the whole picture. But these are the three factors on my mind today:

* A relentless, malicious disinformation campaign, headed by the president, and a media environment that advances lies more readily than facts.
* Reckless, deceitful, enabling behavior on behalf of members of Congress.
* Intentional hamstringing of election rules, and neglect of election infrastructure.

Don’t get me wrong: The election was administered by hard-working people as well as it could have been, given all the challenges they faced. It was a remarkable achievement during the pandemic. As we all know, the Department of Homeland Security said that it was the most secure election in American history.

But clearly we don’t want to have any future elections like this, in which any losing candidate can rally his or her supporters to attack the results — and edifices of government — with impunity.

Yesterday’s insurrection MUST mark a turning point in the history of our democracy. As President Kennedy said, “When written in Chinese, the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the one represents opportunity.”

So I look forward to working with you to turn this crisis of democracy into an era of fundamental change by enacting concrete fixes in the short term and generating the vision, alliances, and RESOURCES necessary to create a truly inclusive democracy that works for everyone.

We are grateful for your partnership as we move forward together in this vital moment of danger and opportunity.

Onward,
Nick

PS — For more reactions to yesterday’s events, see the statement <[link removed]> by the National Council on Election Integrity (an Issue One program) and that of the National Task Force on Election Crises <[link removed]> (a coalition of which we are a proud member).


















































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