For many, America is often seen as a journey of perfection, the ship of state buoyed by American Exceptionalism ingrained into most of us before our teens.
I see things a little bit differently. For me, it’s a journey of progress as we work toward the promise of, not a perfect union, but a more perfect union.
See, we are far from faultless. From raising wages and improving infrastructure to combating climate change and protecting voting rights, we have our work cut out for us — as a nation and as a people.
But we also have much to be thankful for. After all, this isn’t my grandparents’ America anymore. With few exceptions, their struggles are past and the future is ours to write.
Of course, as with any journey, we come to crossroads along the way, where we must choose between left or right and sometimes, forward or backward — i.e., progress or regress. This is one of those moments. Will we choose to go forward or backward? Will we choose “us” or “them”?
Now, typically I don’t like putting any decision in such terms. It’s conceited, reductive, dogmatic and divisive. Unfortunately, right now, it’s also accurate — and as much as I don’t like it, it doesn’t do any good to ignore this choice. So, let’s try to understand it.
On the one hand, there’s “us,” with a record of indisputable accomplishment, with one of the slimmest majorities in our nation’s history, including:
- Investing $1.9 trillion, including direct payments to American families, to fight the COVID-19 pandemic through the American Rescue Plan;
- Cutting child poverty in half by expanding the Child Tax Credit;
- Capping prescription drug prices;
- Delivering on student debt forgiveness;
- Driving down unemployment to its lowest point in more than 50 years; and
- Passing the first major gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years and a historic climate, tax and health care package in the same month.
Got it? Good. Now let’s look at “them” because, in addition to opposing every step forward that we Democrats have made since President Biden took office, members of the GOP have:
- Attacked our democracy by amplifying false claims and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election;
- Fought to restrict the right to vote for nearly 55 million Americans;
- Used taxpayer dollars to deny student debt relief to roughly 43 million Americans;
- Opposed limiting annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries;
- Ramped up dangerous rhetoric that puts the lives of federal law enforcement officers at risk; and
- Voted against expanding health care benefits for veterans.
Of course, if that weren’t enough, just look at Florida Sens. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, who, along with some GOP colleagues in the House, voted against disaster relief for their fellow Floridians devastated by the deadliest hurricane to hit America since Kartina. That’s a very “them” thing to do.
You see, that’s what hangs in the balance in the 2022 midterms. It’s not a choice between “left” or “right.” It’s about going forward or turning back. It’s about choosing to give in to the worst impulses of our nature or believing in the best.
That’s why, for many of us, this election isn’t just an opportunity for community engagement and participation; it’s an obligation. Some people want to win elections. We can’t afford to lose. The stakes are too high to have it any other way.
Antjuan Seawright is a Democratic political strategist, founder and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC, a CBS News political contributor, and a senior visiting fellow at Third Way. Follow him on Twitter @antjuansea.