New Growth, New Faces
“Nature repairs her ravages, but not all. The uptorn trees are not rooted again; the parted hills are left scarred; if there is a new growth, the trees are not the same as the old, and the hills underneath their green vesture bear the marks of the past rending. To the eyes that have dwelt on the past, there is no thorough repair.”
Mary Ann Evans (“George Eliot”)
I see new growth as a very positive thing. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's victory – which was not a surprise to anyone who was watching the contest for the last six weeks – is that new growth's coming into bloom. And Representative Crowley's powerful endorsement is a fine example of the manner in which all members of the Democratic Party should behave.
Last night, on MSNBC, I heard Alexandria described by Brian Williams as “the hard left.” Please. She used to work for Senator Kennedy. In 2016, she was at both Standing Rock and Flint, advocating for human rights. And this year, she was at the southern boarder, advocating for family values. She is, by definition, one of this era's FDR Democrats.
There is some confusion on just how much Rep. Crowley outspent her by in this campaign. Some sources say by 6 times, while others have gone by 18 times. The most accurate estimate, I believe, is by 10 times. What is not in dispute, however, is that Alexandria's financial support came from small, grass roots contributions.
The majority of Rep. Crowley's financial support came from corporations, through lobbyists. That is, of course, common among politicians from both parties. It is especially true for those who have been in office for numerous terms. Thus, Rep. Crowley is not different than many of our party's leadership. Yet, it is something that makes those at the grass roots who favor campaign finance reform uncomfortable.
There are old-growth party members who appear equally uncomfortable with what Alexandria represents. They are not alone, in the sense that among the eyes that dwell in the past, there are those who blame Bernie Sanders's supports, or the DNC, or Hillary Clinton supporters, for the crisis we are in today. But negative energy, by its very nature, cannot heal the political landscape. Only positive energy can result in new growth.
We often talk about wishing today's younger generation would be active at the voting booth. With no disrespect to Rep. Crowley, which type of Democrat do you think might excite young adults? He is a good man, but e does not hold the promise for the future that Alexandria clearly does. And I say that, fully aware of the benefits of his experience and understanding of how Washington works. Rather, I say it because we desperately need Washington to work differently.
In my opinion, one of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez's greatest strengths was her ability to focus her campaign upon the issues that are important to people. No one could question her sincerity. More, she avoided personalizing her campaign as anti-Trump, for she understands that the very topic of Trump is toxic. Instead, she spoke of new growth in the most positive and powerful way possible.
While I am an old, wrinkled-faced Irish-American – who has known the extended, Irish-American Crowley family for decades as good people – I am 100% in support of Alexandria. Nothing makes me happier than seeing her rising as new growth in our party.
Peace,
H2O Man
= new reply since forum marked as read
