What Progressives Can Expect In A New America (GOP Has No Intention Of Working With Democrats)
Let’s be really clear about what happened on Election Day.
The GOP will not be “crossing the aisle.”Â
Republican voters, fueled by Ebola and ISIS fears, hatred of liberalism, gay people and Black people, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, a shift to the left by the general electorate, and all the advertising Koch Brothers money could buy, flooded polling stations yesterday and pronounced judgment in a vacuum created by Democratic complacence.
Let’s be honest.
If you’re reading this, you probably voted.
Thank you.
If you’re not, you probably didn’t.
And those who didn’t are the problem.
The majority of Democrats will never understand that democracy is a little bit like war. You can never let down your guard, you can never trust your opponent will do the right thing for the country, because time and time again Republicans and the Tea Party have proven otherwise.
They will not further an agenda that includes supporting a woman’s right to choose, a same-sex couple’s right to marry, an undocumented immigrant’s right to not be murdered in their home country, a child’s right to learn facts and not religious propaganda, a minority person’s right to equal opportunity, or the right of all to a planet not burning to death under its own pollution.
For a moment, take Fox News contributor Erick Erickson.
A few tweets from his Twitter account this morning:
Dear Republicans: No One Elected You to Work with Democrats http://t.co/3wtdpZuKXH
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) November 5, 2014
Democrats saying they want to “work together†with the GOP is code for “blame them for everything!â€
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) November 5, 2014
The political press was to Allison Grimes and Wendy Davis as Lena Dunham was to her sister.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) November 5, 2014
So Media Matters didn’t get Rush off the air and didn’t get Sandra Fluke into office. LOL.
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) November 5, 2014
And these he retweeted:
REJOICE: The Worst Candidate of 2014 Has Lost http://t.co/KX6x7JfLgn pic.twitter.com/Slkfmj3V9m
— Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) November 5, 2014
That’s New York Democratic candidate (and gay person) Sean Eldridge up there, married to Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.
Remember when they said this election would be all Ted Cruz’s fault? You’re welcome, moderate bedwetters.
— Neil Stevens (@presjpolk) November 5, 2014
Or this tweet from a Twitter conservative with 88,000 followers:
The Obama White House – You’ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy! #tcot pic.twitter.com/mdSfBXzzx1
— Janie Johnson (@jjauthor) November 5, 2014
So what can LGBT people and progressives expect now that the GOP (and dark money conservative billionaires) own both Houses of Congress, many more Governor’s mansions, and even local and state legislatures?
A renewed attempt to quash same-sex marriage.
Pro-family voices increase in U.S. Senate with addition of @jameslankford as new OK Sen. Joins stalwart @jiminhofe to represent Oklahomans
— FRCAction (@FRCAction) November 5, 2014
The continued slow death of ENDA.
More attempts to ban abortion.
Senate became more solidly #prolife tonight. Nearly every new Republican supports banning abortion after five months.
— Tony Perkins (@tperkins) November 5, 2014
Zero chance of immigration reform that doesn’t deport millions of people back to their home countries where they have a 50-50 chance of being murdered.
A furthering of their war on science, women, the UN, the EPA, the Education Department, secularism, and progressive values.
Defunding of as much of Obamacare as they can manage.
Enshrining “religious liberty,” aka, religious discrimination, bigotry, and hate, into law.
Increased funding of the war machine, and American boots on the ground in the Middle East – and many American lives lost.
No Obama nominees confirmed for the federal courts – certainly not the U.S. Supreme Court.
An Attorney General battle to replace Eric Holder.
Infrastructure – bridges, roadways, and tunnels – collapsing.
Deregulation of the markets and commerce and banking.
No movement forward on minimum wage in Congress, despite wins at the state level.
And that’s just for starters.
Welcome to America 2014.
Time to fight back.
Â
Image by DonkeyHotey via Flickr
Â

Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |