truth
Newsletter #67 / October 18, 2024
Don’t you want to hold up something that’s just true? Don’t you want to hand unaffiliated voters something that’s so simple, so straightforward, and so true that even the most skeptical have to agree? Imagine discussing something that not only makes you proud, something so universal it inspires that unaffiliated voter, yet fits perfectly with every bit of our Presidential campaign messaging?
“We believe all people are created equal, that this is America’s fundamental ideal.” That’s how the message starts, and it doesn’t get any more true than that.
“We believe that America is a democracy, by and for the people: ruled by the Constitution and its interpretations, protected by the Bill of Rights, and inspired by the Declaration of Independence.” That is what we stand for.
“We believe these founding documents demand Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity for all Americans, in full and equal measure — regardless of who you are, what you believe, or where you live.” That is our Purpose, our true mission as Democrats, and as Americans.
These are the opening lines of the Democratic Creed.These are the words created by Democrats gathered from every wing of our party, a group that came together with one goal: to write a set of core values that every single Democrat in this country could adopt, a set of basic beliefs that could serve to unite us across the country, once and for all.
But something happened as this group finished their work. They looked at what they’d created, and they said: “This isn’t the Democratic Creed, this is the American Creed!”. And so it is. The Democratic Creed is our Creed, we are the champions of these things, but the values belong to America. These tenets are nothing short of the aspirational goals this country was founded on, the very Declaration of Independence set out in modern English. It is nothing less than Democracy’s Creed, and that is why so many people agree, folks way beyond our circle of Democratic activists. As one determined Republican lady put it: “Of course I agree with these. They’re American values.”
And so this group went on to create definitions for Freedom, Justice, and Opportunity, simple common-sense definitions that ring just as true and just as universal … and just as American.
These ideas are not lengthy party platforms, and they’re not political statements designed to win an an election. These are powerful ideas expressed in straightforward, basic terms. They are written in plain English, and they fit on a palm card. They are powerful, and they work.
But to make them work, you have to accept: this Creed and these Definitions are not campaign tools, they are belief. They are identity. And if you believe, if you accept them as identity, they serve as a powerful bridge to the unaffiliated voter, to the disaffected Republicans, and everyone else who is uneasy with what’s going on. They are an incredibly effective tool for changing the dynamic in rural counties. That is why these cards are available to download and print on our website (https://www.dems101.org/resources).
Rural counties … your county … are the key to uniting our country. We know that, and you know that. And identity is how we do it, one voter at a time. November 5th is the first battle, and it’s a big one, a very big one. But it isn’t the last. A national vision of a just society … as long as it takes is true victory, and acceptance of these values and definitions by the majority of Americans is how we get there.
A lot of work lies ahead to win this election, work that will test all of us. A lot more awaits us on the other side, nothing less than the struggle to take back the moral character of this nation. Know that we will be there, with you.
Good luck with all that needs to be done to win on November 5th. See you on the other side.
The team at Dems 101.
