j.d. vance
Newsletter #65 / September 15, 2024
Because of the strong response in Ohio, we are reprinting an expanded version of this. J.D. Vance symbolizes so much more than just being Donald Trump’s running mate, or Ohio.
Why does J.D. Vance exist? How has he become a symbol of modern Ohio?
Why are women’s rights under assault all across the state? Why has gerrymandering been authorized by the Ohio Supreme Court? Why are Democrats under attack in rural counties, fearful of even saying they’re Democrats? Why is democracy as we know it under threat in a state that was once a true bellwether for America?
Identity. It’s that simple. The identity of the Democratic Party that FDR founded, the identity that lifted us out of the Great Depression and united so much of this country … rural and big city alike … has been lost, and nowhere more than in rural Ohio. That emotional identity was at the center of everything Roosevelt achieved. That core sense of who we are carried us through decades of incredible difficulty. It launched us forward towards enormous social progress, the very things we relish today.
But that fundamental identity has slowly evaporated. That identity that FDR worked so hard to create has become blurred, distorted, made unrecognizable to so much of the country … to so many Democrats.
We have always held … the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon. This is how Roosevelt spoke. “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.” He spoke to all of us. He spoke of hope and the future, of common American values, and he spoke of them in ways that Americans .. even his enemies .. understood.
Kamala Harris has resurrected this language, given us hope, but the sudden burst of enthusiasm for her message underscores just how far we have retreated from that same message, and for how long. Over the decades, we have become obsessed with policies and factional arguments, and with the mechanics of winning the next election. We have fallen victim to the old ways of doing things, the habits that decades of entrenched power have created.
The power of FDR’s message, of identity, is precisely why the Harris campaign has turned to things like Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity to lift our spirits and give us common cause. And it works. We can all feel the impact. But these values and this vision cannot be mere campaign slogans, they cannot be seen as messaging … not if we want real change. The campaign will disappear on November 6th, the message with it. People will begin to forget the words, and the old ways will return.
That is the reality of politics. And this is exactly why rural counties like yours need to act now to embrace the values of the Democratic Creed, and the vision of a just society … as long as it takes, to make them real. These values and this vision must become belief. And this belief must endure, it must become identity. Identity is what changes things, and this core identity is powerful. It’s American. These basic values and our vision are embodied in the Declaration of Independence. These things are the basic values that once made rural America great, and can do so again. They are, quite simply, the antidote to J.D. Vance. They are the antidote to every bit of the hate and division that has plagued us so terribly.
Changing this from messaging into belief, starts with you. It starts at the grassroots of that very same rural America. You are the Democratic Party in your community. Your belief is what powers change. The banner you raise is what starts the evolution of American politics we all so desperately need. The genesis of this change is not in Washington, and it is not in Columbus, it is right in your backyard. It lies in the grassroots leadership in rural Ohio. It lies with you.
Adopt the Democratic Creed, now. Take up Campaigning with Values and Vision, our hands-on toolkit. Use it now to effect real change in the coming election. Then stand with the growing community of rural county Democratic organizations all across Ohio to create real change in 2025 and beyond ... local change, state-wide change, national change. Join this movement. It costs nothing. It commits you to nothing save values and a belief in the future. But it gives you real power, power over J.D. Vance and everything he represents, power to change the future.
J.M. Purvis for dems101.org
The Democratic Creed was at the recent Posen Potato Festival Parade in Michigan. It was part of the float of Trina Borenstein, the Democratic candidate for Michigan State House District 106.