I am an imperfect Democrat, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet I am a Democrat, but I am imperfect. In this big tent there is a lot I am in sync with and some things, well, I must think about them, but I am a democrat.
In this world we have few things that we can all agree on 100% but we expect our big tent Democratic party to be 100% in agreement 100% of the time. The only thing that I am 100% sure of is that I am imperfect. While our brand sits at 27% I anxiously listen to Ken Martin. I listen and I am dissatisfied. I wish he would listen to us, but I am way too far down the chain for him to listen to me or anyone like me. I get to yell about it, “We are here, see us!” I yell at the TV, “see us, see our grassroots leaders, see the Indivisibles, Markers for Democracy, Network Nova, the Virginia Grassroots Coalition,” but he doesn’t because he is imperfect too.
Yes, I am frustrated, it’s all part of the big imperfect mess but I will never disparage my party disrespectfully or say we are unworthy, refuse to help because I am so mad at President Biden, or give any indication that my imperfect party deserves a 27 per cent satisfaction while the Republican Party of chaos raves about Alligator Alcatraz, lets women bleed out and die, forcing them to give up their lives for the unborn, take Medicaid from millions of children, cut snap benefits all in favor of giving tax breaks to the wealthy. I am imperfect and so is my party, but we are not----THAT. I could go on, but you get my point.
Let’s agree, no one is right all the time especially the pundits, media, consultants, democratic strategists, pollsters, we all get it wrong, but I know what I am. Imperfect; still like millions of Democrats we wake up every day to take care of people, despite the 27% ascribed to our brand. Isn’t our legislative work and wins worth something? Who is it that answers that survey? Is it us? Republicans, Democrats, Independents? But now, more than ever, even in our imperfection, we must continue to show our worthiness and part of that is admitting our imperfection.
We must lift our brand from the bottom up. Each one of us can lift our brand through “Hands Off.” Millions saw us take to the streets for our freedoms and rights for everyone, because we care. “No kings,” millions more got to see us take to the streets, not for us, but for the world and for every American to see that we were standing up for them because we care. Our women's summit that our team and volunteers worked tirelessly to deliver food for the soul, strategy and tactics to continue the fight because we care.
We are the brand and even in all of our imperfection never let anyone tell you that you're a 27 percenter, not a party who is resisting a regime full of January Six insurrectionist, Christian Nationalists, Militia members, Nazis and yes some people who were uninformed and lost, and we would welcome them back because we care about people , even them. At the women's summit I said two times, and I'll say it once again “what you do speak so loudly, I can't hear a word you say.” Republicans shout to the earth and back about how they care while they take this country back to a place of darkness, fear and chaos. What they do --we see, and the sound is like a dog whistle, and we are bewildered by those who listens to them.
We are Democrats and even in our imperfections people can see what we are doing, and they can feel it because our actions and words are aligned. Our actions scream! We have marched for healthcare, women’s reproductive health, Medicare, Medicaid, Education, Freedom, and equality for all. Why, because we care about people. All people. We fight one way or another every single day to make life better for everyone--- even in all our imperfection. This is our brand. It's who we are, we care about people we care about you. That makes us worthy. That makes us worth fighting for. It makes us worth joining, it makes us Democrats in all our imperfection.
I am a democrat and I am imperfect.
Finale Norton 💙
Share this post