Our republic is in real danger.

Sports celebration (Yay Braves!) is tempered tonight by the sad news that racism and authoritarianism have won the day in a squeaker in Virginia. This should be a wake up call to those of us who are small-r republicans, who love the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution, who believe We the People must safeguard our republican institutions. The truth is, of course, that complacency and ignorance are enemies of democracy. When prejudice and fear is played upon by sophisticated computerized "social media" we must care enough to work, give, speak out, and VOTE. The two or three percent of Virginians-who-know-better who stayed home have given the Trumpist Lie new life.

Those hot-under-the-collar about "Critical Race Theory" are ignorant of what it is and have fallen into a sad trap. The Trumpists in Virginia won votes of just enough well-meaning ignoramuses to tip the balance.

Democracy is under attack worldwide, and in my seventies I am watching republicanism crumble dramatically in the land I love. I pray I can live long enough to see this repaired. We MUST fight as hard or harder than we did from 2017-2020 to defeat the authoritarians and their enablers in the (so-called) Republican Party.

Every other issue MUST come second to the one primary issue: Save our republic from the Trumpists.

We have one more year of a VERY scant, VERY philosophically diverse, majority in Congress. We must repair and strengthen the republic's institutions first. That is really all we have majority agreement on. Without Sen. Joe Manchin, who at least agrees that Trump is a traitor and that elections should matter, the Trumpists would have a complete veto on legislation. I sincerely wish he were more open to altering the filibuster and passing more of the Build Back Better agenda that the people voted for in 2020, but politics is the art of the possible.

So to the progressive wing of my party:

Yes, speak out for the fullest possible implementation of the 2020 platform,

BUT do NOT let the perfect stand in the way of the good. The Senate is the Senate. A three vote margin in the House is tiny. Don't let America fall into Trumpist hands again just because we cannot have all we want right now.

And quit being a circular firing squad. 

Joe Biden has been a very bold president. He has actually lived up to his promises despite the disappointment of the narrowed majority in the house and the 50-50 split in the senate. No president with such a slim margin has fought so hard for such a transformational set of legislation. It is not President Biden's job right now (nor ours) to go out and publicly scream against those who support democracy but disagree with us on policy. The president DOES speak out on policy BUT his persuasion must be aimed at a very small group, maybe only two senators, who must be negotiated with, not harassed, to find what part of the program they can support. Then we need to take that for 2021, claim victory -- as we very legitimately can -- and work like hell to elect MORE Democratic senators and congressfolk in 2022!