Why We Voted for a Felon

What happens when people feel they have nothing left to lose

I saw the above meme posted on Facebook and responded to it as follows:

When my son was young, I used to tell him never to fight someone who has nothing to lose and everything to gain. It applies to individuals as well as to society as a whole. With the enormous and growing wealth gap in this nation, more and more people view our democracy as a failed state and have less and less to lose. Tearing it all down makes sense to them because they feel they've hit bottom. Trump and his Republican sycophants effectively speak to this crowd. It doesn't matter that they're criminals. It doesn't matter that they are tearing down democracy. It doesn’t matter that they feed the culture wars that continue to drive a wedge through our nation. When you're at the bottom, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by tearing it all down. People know the game is rigged against them. And they're not wrong.

Unfortunately, a majority of Democrats have failed to understand this dynamic, as they too pander to their wealthy donors and, despite their denials, contribute to the growing wealth gap. This explains why they downplay their progressive wing while “corporatizing” their party. They’re chasing money and power while leaving their constituents behind.

The people are not blind. They see it. They know what’s going on.

I firmly believe that true Progressivism is the only way out of this mess. Progressivism is the belief that ordinary folks deserve the same chance as anyone to get ahead. Progressivism promotes fairness by ensuring that hard work is rewarded, that no one goes broke paying for healthcare, that public schools remain strong, and, most importantly, that government answers to the people. Consider this: when allowed to vote directly on the issues, people in Missouri vote progressive. Every. Single. Time. Unfortunately, most also identify with a sense that our government is rigged, so they vote for the party that identifies with that emotional feeling, even as that party continues to screw them out of their hard-earned money.

Obama ran on "hope and change" in 2008. It was a breath of fresh air and a message to a majority of Americans: “Yes, there is a place for the ordinary American in this nation.” Unfortunately, he didn't deliver. Instead, he played the game of bailing out Wall Street while foreclosing on Main Street. He outright refused to pursue and convict those responsible for the 2008 financial collapse. On an international level, he failed to close Gitmo, was unable to hold the line in Ukraine, and intensified the covert wars in the Middle East. Yes, he got the ACA through Congress, making healthcare more affordable, but behind the scenes, it was a giveaway to the health insurance companies, enriching them even further. And, most tragically, he ignored the suffering of ordinary Americans and pushed policies that only widened the wealth gap. In short, he damaged the Democratic brand for a generation. As if to speak to their delusion of moral superiority, Michelle Obama declared, “When they go low, we go high.” It was a punch in the gut to the average American struggling to survive in an increasingly unfair and lopsided economy.

When viewed through this lens, it makes perfect sense why people would put a felon in the Oval Office. The question now is whether the Democrats can rise up and fortify our original democratic principles, or will they continue to play the same game of pandering to corporations and the wealthy? Time will tell.

Though I'm running as a Democrat, I don't have any illusions of what I'm up against. The DNC is still in a poor state and has recently demonstrated both arrogance and a lack of introspection. For example, Ken Martin, the DNC chair, decided to withhold the "2024 Democratic Autopsy Report." This is a bad sign; it effectively says that the Democrats aren't willing to look back on their role in the social and economic demise of ordinary Americans. Instead, the DNC prefers to close their ears, put on a blindfold, and continue charging into unfamiliar territory, tripping over the obstacles in their path and completely ignoring the average American as they chase a shrinking pot of money.

As I run for a seat in the Missouri State House, I intend to be the change that's needed. I will help bridge the divide here in Missouri. This movement must begin locally before it can take root nationally. To that end, I have reached out not only to Democratic candidates but also to Republican candidates. To my delight, I’ve found broad agreement on the issues that matter most. To be sure, many folks still echo the talking points handed to them by party leaders, but I believe that with our persistence, the party leaders’ grip will loosen as Americans gravitate toward a system that is fair, equitable, and transparent.

Sorry for the extended response, but I feel it’s necessary to comment on the dynamics of what’s happening and the urgency of fixing it. I believe my rambling response also answers the conundrum raised in the original meme.