How Can Republicans in Congress Not Be Scared?
It's a break in the congressional schedule so, like always, House members and Senators have flown home to their own states to press the flesh and assure their constituents that they are still alive and serving their needs in Washington.
Except...NOT. Many Republicans in Congress are avoiding the town-hall meetings, the flesh-pressing, and are simply unable to assure their voters and others that they're working on their behalf. The few who have bothered to meet with the public are getting shouted down and being accused of betrayal.
Mitch McConnell, for example, displayed zero understanding of what his constituents were telling him, offering up only a patronizing grin and attitude that effectively communicated his disdain for those who were speaking about their fears about the end of ACA. He essentially laughed in their faces. His audience was far from amused. And so it has gone for many Republicans who are finding their welcome at home to be very, very thin, indeed.
So, what will those legislators do? Will they adjust their positions to reflect the concerns of their home state or district voters? Nah. They don't care, really. For many of them, simply avoiding any contact is the preferred course of action. They are letting their voicemail boxes overflow and sending emails from their district into the spam folder. They don't want to hear all that complaining. They want praise. They want affirmation, and they'll get it from their wealthy backers if the people won't provide it.
What Can We Do with This?
Can we, as Democrats, leverage all of this somehow to create new opportunities in 2018? We can, if we are willing to do the work. The voters are pissed off at Donald Trump. The voters are not happy with the cold shoulder they're getting from their representatives in Congress, either. Smart potential Democratic candidates should be storing up video of their competitors for use later. They should be making public statements and assuring voters that they will provide relief from the lack of concern of Republicans. They should be talking regularly with people in their area about change. They should be holding their own town-hall meetings.
As individual Democrats, we should be already working in our own districts to identify potential candidates for 2018 who have the personal appeal and energy needed to fight a tough campaign for every congressional office. If the very best possible candidate are hesitant, we should encourage them to step up. We should be getting involved in our own local party organizations right now, and not waiting until 2018 is here. We should be posting about the poor performance of the Republicans in our districts on all of our social media venues and asking voters to think long and hard before re-electing those same people.
We can work for change. We should work for change. We must work for change, or that change will not happen.
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