Since Donald Trump was sworn into office, a great many of us kept February 2020 marked on our calendars because we knew that the start of the Democratic presidential primary/caucus process brought with it our first step toward taking back the White House and our nation.
February did not let us down.
As we say in the AME Church, February has made us glad twice: We’re glad it came and glad it is gone.
Now, with four contests over, 154 delegates awarded, and the deep drama of political ebb and flow on full display, we know that March will be full of political madness.
On Super Tuesday alone, 1,344 delegates are up for grabs, which means that, like the recent contests in Nevada and South Carolina, the most consequential constituency groups and voting blocs in America — black and brown voters — will be heard.
There are still questions to be answered:
- Do we have complete clarity on who our nominee will be? No.
- Do we know what coalition of voters propelled him or her to the front of a crowded field? No.
- Do we know what all this means for our collective ticket in November? No.
But all that is fine with me. This process is a marathon, not a sprint, and our direction is always more important than our speed.
Here’s what we do know:
- Our candidates must continue to understand that they are running for the Democratic nomination, not against each other. The “March madness” political reset will take place and, when that happens, we can’t afford to find our bridges to each other burned.
- Whoever occupies the top of the ticket will affect their down-ballot brothers and sisters in arms as we work to protect the Democratic majority in the House, the most diverse majority in American history, and expand Democratic membership in the Senate. This impact will be deep and significant. But it doesn’t have to be detrimental.
- As we move through this process, we must continue to engage, persuade and excite the voters of color who make up the bedrock of our party. Right now, we are energized and motivated. If we want to win in November, we can’t let that energy fall.
- Our message, regardless of the lane in which you find yourself on the Democratic political highway, must stay focused on quality-of-life issues because these pragmatic, kitchen table, corner of the bedpost and grocery store aisle issues not only move votes, they also change lives.
Finally, no matter what else happens, we know that we are stronger together. If we’re going to win, we have to beat Trump, an increasingly radical GOP and, apparently, possible foreign interference. The only way to do that is together.
Antjuan Seawright is a Democratic political strategist, founder and CEO of Blueprint Strategy LLC, and a CBS News political contributor. Follow him on Twitter @antjuansea.