The Election is Over and I Have a Few Requests

by Sharon Kayne

Last Tuesday was one of the best elections I can remember. Okay, the first time Obama won was pretty awesome, but our democracy wasn’t on the brink of being eviscerated by a pumpkin-colored lunatic back then, so it didn’t have the same feeling of relief. Ahhh… crisis averted!

Having our country saved from a fascist oligarchic takeover was clearly the biggest win of the midterm elections. But there is so much more to celebrate. At a time when patriarchy has been enjoying a special, gold-plated place in the oval office, many, many women were elected to congressional seats and governor’s offices across the country. Similarly, as diversity, equity, and inclusion policies are being treated like they’re some sort of threat to mediocre white men and the unearned entitlement they’ve long enjoyed, lots of candidates from marginalized groups also won. So many ‘firsts.’ It was really a first for such widespread ‘firsts.’

Another first: for the first time in a really long time, I’m feeling hopeful about the state of the nation. But that’s only partly because of the Democratic majorities we’ll have come 2027. At the heart of the change is the people who voted and what they voted for, in very large numbers. They voted for public servants who will actually serve the public rather than their own interests. They voted for fairness and inclusion for people of all stripes. They voted for decency. Equally as important is what they voted against: the politics of division, hate, and fear. It was great to see such a groundswell of people doing the right thing.

I was talking with one of my neighbors about the election yesterday, and while she was as pleased with the results as I am, she did point out that things may not change as much as we hope. “Democrats are really good at screwing up,” she said. And I had to agree with her, because it’s true. The Democratic party has never operated in lock-step the way the Republicans do. Plus, we don’t have the majority needed to override a presidential veto. And, of course, the Lame-Duck-in-Chief has promised bunches of those. But I say, hey—what a great opportunity! Now’s your chance to pass all sorts of legislation that’s very popular with the public without having to worry about either the political blowback or the actual cost. And, you’ll get the Rump on record as being the bastard to kill it.

So, go ahead! Pass Medicare for All. Fully fund education, child care, and health care. Defund ICE. Regulate the hell out of AI and its damn data centers. Make the rich pay Social Security taxes on all of their income. End other income tax cuts for the rich. Hell, pass a wealth tax! End Citizens United and kill the Electoral College. (Okay, those would take constitutional amendments, which have to be ratified by the states, but why not give it a shot?)

Even if every single bill and budget receives a presidential veto, it would put you on the record of being on the side of the people. It might piss off your corporate donors, but if we learned anything from the 2026 midterms, it’s that the vote is mightier than the campaign budget. Of course, people only vote like they did Tuesday when they’re really pissed off. But what would piss them off more than seeing Medicare for All being vetoed?

There is also one very important thing the Democratic majority can do for the next two years. It’s likely that much of Trump’s cabinet will be cut loose. Here’s where the Dems come in: vote against every single cabinet nomination who isn’t actually qualified to do the job and/or is a sycophant. Vote down any appointments that serve Trump instead of the American people. Also, impeach Thomas and Alito and then either vote down every Trump nominee or pull a McConnell: block all of his Supreme Court nominees until 2029.

I have a few other requests, of course. I’d like to see Hegseth impeached, although it’s highly unlikely he’ll still be around by 2027. Hell, he might not make it until Sunday when I post this blog. Also: kill Musk’s many federal contracts and investigate him for treason as well as war crimes against Ukraine; investigate the highly illegal things Don, Jr. and Jarred Kushner have been doing; turn off the money and weapons spigot to Israel; and get us out of Iran.

Finally, get all of the Epstein files released, for fuck’s sake. With the names of the perpetrators unredacted so the American people can boycott the companies where they work until they are run out on a rail and/or arrested.

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