A few days ago I wrote that Kamala Harris wasn’t just riding high on enthusiasm, she was actually being propelled by a movement. And that movement was Hope and Joy.
I wrote at the time that a movement didn’t depend on just a charismatic leader, it was about a message. I noted that while Martin Luther King didn’t create the civil rights movement, he personified it. But once King was gone, the message didn’t die, it was picked up by other leaders and went on.
But earlier today a guest on MSNBC took my basic idea from a couple of days ago, personalized it to the current Harris surge, and put a whole new light on it. And it’s an awesome possibility.
Up until now, all of the media attention has been about the incredible momentum that Harris and Walz have generated, using examples such as rising poll numbers, incredible fundraising totals, grassroots mobilization and volunteerism as proof of the momentum.
But what about this? What if all of this incredible momentum isn’t all about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz? Remember, the movement already existed when MLK picked up the mantle. And when he was assassinated, the mantle was picked up by the next generation. But it was the message more than the messenger.
This country has suffered through eight long years of fear, hate, sexism, racism, threats of violence, xenophobia, Islamophobia, gay bashing and deprivation of personal rights. The majority of the country is desperately thirsting for a more positive, hopeful message.
And Kamala Harris is the perfect vessel to carry that message of hope and joy. And that would be great if all the Democrats got out of it was increased interest and promise to vote the Democratic ticket.
But the simple fact is that this has gone far beyond Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Harris’ personality alone couldn’t lead to the incredible groundswell of small money donations, activism, and volunteer enthusiasm. The numbers go much too far for that.
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are the messengers, and they’re knocking it out of the park. But to my thinking, it’s the message of hope and joy that is mobilizing millions of people who have never attended a Harris or Walz rally to pitch in and sign up. It was MLK’s and Obama’s message that reverberated far beyond their charisma, And now it’s happening again.
Which means that Trump, Vance, and the GOP are f*cked. Sideways. Because these sh*theels can slam, shur, and slander Harris and Walz to their sick, twisted hearts content, and it won’t make the slightest bit of difference. Because it isn’t about the messenger, it’s about the message. And that can make sure a movement never dies.
MLK had to suffer endless racism and death threats. Obama had to suffer birtherism, racism, and otherism. And now Harris is having to suffer slings about her racial identity, sex, and intelligence, and Walz is suffering slings and arrows over his military service. But it wont matter, because the message of hope and joy is what’s driving the movement.
Remember this. The western democracies toppled the Soviet Union without a shot using vehicles like radio Free Europe to spread the dream of free markets, blue jeans, McDonalds and meat for dinner to rouse the populace to a better possible life. And now the Harris-Walz campaign is following in the footsteps of MLK and Obama, and offering a downtrodden populace a message of hope and a better future. And Trump, Vance, and the MAGA GOP have nothing to offer. This isn’t even a fair fight.
I thank you for the privilege of your time.
And can you imagine fifty people a day, yes I said fifty people a day walking in singing a bar of Alice’s restaurant and walking out? Friends they may think it’s a movement. And that’s what it is…the Alice’s Restaurant anti- massacre movement!
Alice’s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie
All you’ve got to do to join is sing it the next time it comes around the the guitar…With feeling.
You know Scott, I think it’s coming round.
On Thanksgiving it’s gotten awfully hard but I still cook up a spread. Love those days of leftovers! But when it’s time to sit down with everything freshly prepared at whatever time in the early afternoon by big old dining room table is full of goodies before I fill up my first plate full of food I cue up Alice’s Restaurant. Suddenly I’m in a mood to hear it again right now! Are you thinking like me that if someone made a new video of it J.D. Vance would make the perfect Officer Obey? Especially in court after seeing the judge was blind, and starting to cry because “it was a typical case of American blind justice and there wasn’t nothing he could do about it!” Of course as you know better than most justice sure as hell isn’t blind (fair) but sometimes it prevails because the assholes who try to take advantage get overwhelmed by the good guys/gals and there’s nothing they assholes can do to stop it.
We have a chance again to make that happen. Think of it this way. If each of us not only votes, but can convince just one or two other people to vote AND convince THEM to make sure at least one or two additional people vote and so on we can get this done. It’s just the start as Obama tried to tell people in Grant Park on election night in 2008. People were too carried away to pay attention to his message that one election was far from enough to make the change people had voted for a real thing.
But maybe, just maybe it we get THIS election done the right way, in the aftermath Harris and Waltz can utilize Obama and Biden to create the will to truly reset the narrative and more importantly get our side to recognize that we can NEVER let up. Not for one single election because the gomers will be out there. Waiting and plotting and looking for ANY slight crack they can find to stick some dynamite into and blow a hole in the dam holding back their agenda of fear, hatred and exploitation of the masses.
I would likely to.go with Suzanne by Leonard Cohen or Dancin’ in the Streets or something by Joan Baez. ( We played Sweet Sir Gala had at our wedding. My maid of Honor sang it in her gorgeous voice). Even This Land is Your Land by Petdr,Paul,and Mary.
He would denis…the gop is like the army psychiatrist arlo met to determine his mental fitness…when arlo started to jump up and down yelling KILL KILL KILL, as you know, the doc joined in yelling KILL KILL KILL…then said, “you’re our boy!”
Someday they’re going to have to admit they put this country under that half ton of garbage(trump). :>)
Me? I’m on the bench with the mother rapers, father stabbers, and father rapers! When I was sent to the pen, no one believed my story, but when they found out I was creating a nuisance, and disturbing the peace, they all came around. Ha.
I believe all of us would just like some peace and quiet. We just want some ordinary days to not have constant trials and tribulations. The constant proliferation of lies, aggression, anger and deceit wear us out over time. Just give us some NORMALCY.
If foreigners judged the U.S. only on the basis of commercials aired on TV, they would think the U.S. is a land of interracial harmony and good will. Corporations may support MAGA with the expectation of lower taxes and less regulation, but they know that MAGA’s message of hate and division won’t sell with the public.
So let’s hope Trump and Vance keep pushing their negativity. Their poll numbers will keep dropping.
Commercials are funny things. I moved to Canada in 2016. You would NOT believe the difference in commercials between the USA and here.
What are the differences?
DIVERSITY.
Examples abound: commercials for automobiles, pharmaceuticals, sports, even Big Macs. ALL of them include diverse individuals of different backgrounds – black, white, hispanic, asian, islamic, etc.
I compare them to USA commercials and think “Boy, these diverse commercials probably wouldn’t sell a hamburger in Kansas.”
Hope spells change for the good, to me.
Heather Cox Richardson’s diary on substack today was about corruption. Oddly enough, in both her diary and all of the comment, not one person mentioned the basic statistic of republicon corruption: how many convictions by presidential term, and you can start with Eisenhower! Every single R president had oodles of convicted felons and many of their presidents should have had themselves on that list, too, i.e., Nixon got pardoned, Regan (Iran Contra), Bush (war crimes), Melon Felon (hahaha).
Democrats? Hmm, not so much. Carter? Clinton – made up BS. Obama – 0, really I think you can look it up. Biden – no Fs to give here .
Rs are CROOKS. Plain and simple. All the way up and down the ballot. One of the examples was Florida’s New School, the college that was ruined by Desantis and Ben Sasse.
The good news is that Murf is right, it’s a multi-generational movement, wherein those of us old enough to have the vinyl of Alice’s Restaurant have passed the message on a new generation. Like JFK’s inauguration speech.
Lovely. Hope and Joy is great.
FL schools suck. You can barely graduate from.college with a D average and you will get hired if you know someone,over a person with As from.a really great school. How do I know? I applied to.every system within a 90minutedrive and couldn’t get an interview.