There are moments in history that shake you to your core and reveal who were are as a nation and what we are capable of in that moment in time. Tuesday's overwhelming Democratic victory across the country is one of those clearest example of that type of moment in my lifetime.
MLK said, "the arc of the universe bends towards justice." However, that bend in the road sometimes feels far too distant. Since 2024, it felt like we had taken a detour off that arc and somewhere towards autocracy and criminality in the highest levels of our government. A Republican Congress had abdicated its contitutional responsibilty to serve as a check on a uniquely imperial president, and the things they were abetting were truly horific - mass deportations to countries outside of the deportees nation of origin, ICE raids, medicaid budget cuts, dismantling of the NIH and the nation's scientific enterprise, and corruption throughout the executive branch. It was to these things that the American people loudly proclaimed, Enough!
That we await the results of razor-close races for senate seats in Alaska and Mississippi, in which the Democrat is leading, tells you the epic proportions of the Democratic wipeout this week. I never imagined such things could be possible!
More than anyplace, Texas - my home state - shocked me. It has been 32 years since a Democrat was elected to statewide off when Gary Mauro won his Land Commisioner race. On Tuesday, Democrats swept every single statewide office except for the senate seat held by Ted Cruz, who was not on the ballot this year! The won a senate seat, the governor's mansion, and even the Texas House! How did they do so? They ran candidates who were competent, empathetic, and focused on appealing to all Texans who thought their state had been broken by the brazen, unopposed actions of a Republican political machine and a billionaire named Elon Musk. The wreckage from their rule was all around in the countless data centers, closed schools due to private school vouchers, and people struggling to afford basic necessities like gasoline, food, and rent. I never thought I would see such a return to sanity and democracy in Texas in my lifetime. Now, I have seen it all.
There are some who say this year's election was more a repudiation of the Republicans, Trump, their war, and their policies than an endorsement of a new Democratic vision. I am not one of those people. Great candidates who met the moment in our country in their individual states and communities were every bit as responsible for victory than the other party's overreach. Now, come the hard part governing with a lame duck president, who has yet to demonstrate any willingness to compromise or collaborate.
We shall see what happens next. No matter what occurs, we now have a chance to ride this blue wave - make that a tsunami - and present an alternate, compelling vision to the American people. We heard some of this vision on the campaign trail. Now, it is time to enunciate those values more clearly and put our principles into action. Hopefully, this momentum will continue, and we can ride this blue tsunami into the next election and implement an agenda to repair America for all its citizens.
