Dear Democratic Party...

And Republicans, if you are brave enough.

My Judge of Elections pin.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what went wrong and how we can course-correct America. I hope you read this letter with the intention with which I write it: Deep love of my country, democracy, and freedom. My background is in strategy, so I am going to apply my best insights to give you a framework for moving forward.

But first, what is the job of Government? To protect us. To keep us safe. To manage the finances and resources of our joint assets. And to lead us into the future. Or, according to Google’s AI answer: “create laws, enforce them, and provide services to its citizens.” Here is how I suggest we do that:

1. Walk the Talk - Do you know why so many Democrats didn’t show up to vote? Because how can you reconcile a genocide in Gaza with our sending billions of dollars of aid in the form of bombs to Israel? I once had the chance to ask John Brennan, former director of the CIA, after he admitted defeat in the war in Afghanistan (at a private banking event) if they ever tried creating cultural changes and peace through education, music, art, and friendship. “No,” he said. If you are going to claim you are taking the high road, then you must walk it and talk it at the same time. And that takes deep strength — strength more powerful than weapons.

2. Be Brave - Do you know why Democrats lost so many people to the RFKJR MAHA Republicans? Because going all the way back to Obama, Democrats failed to make the changes necessary to protect the health and environment of our people. Rather than embracing Regenerative Organic Agriculture as a means of improving the health of people and the earth, they caved under lobbying pressure and kicked the can down the road. Rather than confront the food industry to remove subsidies for overly processed toxic foods and GMOs, they let lobbyists have free rein to keep things business as usual and focus on profits and the illusion of economic growth over protecting our people. Again, I know this from the inside. One of my former employees worked for Michele Obama and told me that they couldn’t call her garden organic (even though it was) because it would offend too many people. Ironically, many of my Republican friends were as angry about the lack of support for organic as my Democratic friends were. Organic was the one thing we could agree on. And that opportunity to unite died in the compost heap of fear of rocking the boat. The Democrat’s failure on this goes a long way back. And it’s tied to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries as well. Transparency is essential, and that takes bravery.

3. Show gratitude - During the last election cycle, I got dozens of texts, emails, and phone calls a day asking me for money. Do you know what I didn’t get? A thank you that didn’t have another ask attached. Literally, seconds after I would give money, I got a “bounce back” asking for more. In the non-profit world, there is a general rule that for every ask, you need seven non-ask communications to make a person feel valued and inclined to give. That simply didn’t happen. I gave quite a lot of money. And yet, I ended up feeling disgusted with the immediate onslaught of more asks. And if you are going to send a survey, genuinely ask for my opinion without making it just another “giving opportunity.” Even before the election, I ended up blocking phone numbers, opting out of texts, unsubscribing from emails, and feeling a sense of resentment towards the party that could mismanage itself so badly.

4. Educate - Do you know who does a good job educating and communicating with gratitude? AOC. She uses social media to explain what is happening and why, without asking for a donation! It’s no secret that our education system is failing us. People can barely read, and our children are not learning to read. No one (not even me!) understands how government works. We are, for the most part, financially illiterate and unable to understand the nuances and connections between things. We do not realize or understand on a wide scale how our government's actions in other countries have actually created the immigration crisis we now whine about. If we don’t learn how to educate both children and adults in a way they can understand, we have failed as a country. We are failing as a country. This is something that other countries have surpassed us on and that we have lost. Putting the 10 commandments in classrooms will not solve the situation. However, it might alert kids who read to the hypocrisy they hear at church or see at home. In fact, we need to put all the religious creeds up in schools so kids can learn to understand the history of religion in an objective way. We have been ceding curriculum to the radical religious right, and it shows. It shows. The blaming and fear of education — especially higher education — is extremely dangerous. And those Harvard-educated radical right people who are stoking it know well and good what kind of violence they are provoking. So yes, elitist education can be dangerous. But ignorance is even more dangerous.

5. Words Matter - I’m so tired of all the spitting out of words as if they actually mean anything anymore — woke, DEI, left, right, communist, socialist, capitalist, fascist, racist, yes, even misogynist and patriarchal. All these things are real, but they prevent honest discussion and the possibility of finding solutions by working together. Name-calling of any kind is shaming and non-productive. All these words are flawed, anyway. How about we start with the assumption that all people are worthy of respect and understanding, even appreciation? Everyone brings something to the table we call life, and we should give thanks for that. We don’t have to agree on anything at all except that we are human and worthy of life and freedom (Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, remember?). One thing I have noticed repeatedly is that so much of the ire and blaming by Republicans is fueled by a sense of hurt and shame. Democrats are only partly to blame for this. Religion is a lot to blame. Parenting is even more to blame. Comedians are also to blame. We can’t heal other people, but we can stop the shaming, the blaming, and the ongoing insulting and hurting. It’s not funny. We have to be very, very careful of the words we use and how we use them. And we can create new words to reflect the new systems we want to create. Words have power.

6. Embrace technology - Remember when I wrote about a party in the Hamptons where I defended social media for kids and TikTok, and I wouldn’t say who I was talking with? Well, I was talking with Hillary Clinton, whom I have a lot of respect for. But the pearl-clutching about social media and “our young people” has to stop. Social media is the front line of the war we are fighting, and we need to flood it with light, not try to censor or stop it. It can not be stopped! Instead, we have to get in there and reach people where they are — people of all ages. We have to use it to educate and inform. Use it to build bridges and create new algorithms. We need to use it to create connections and help people when we see them struggling. We need to create short, entertaining shows for kids that teach them how the world works and maybe teach their parents, too. Did you know there was a time when books were considered dangerous for women? If we don’t learn about the patterns of history, we are doomed to repeat them and waste a shit load of time in the process. Don’t do that. Instead of talking about the “ground game” of knocking on doors, we need to have an underground game that gets inside every phone and every platform and doesn’t fear the dark places. Let’s illuminate them.

7. Make Money Understandable - elections are always about money, but few people can agree on what is what and how it all happens. What is the difference between debt and deficit? What actually is the budget of the US, and how is it spent and managed? How are the prices of eggs determined? Who really is on SNAP? How much money do immigrants pay in taxes? How much does everyone pay in taxes? How do tax cuts or hikes impact us over time? How much money do lobbyists and private PACs put into elections? The government should be the central source of truthful, transparent information about how our tax dollars are spent. Preferably shown in charts, infographics, and videos that are easy to understand. And Democrats have an opportunity to lead that effort. Where is the dashboard that shows us where our money is going? If we spent more time educating and less time arguing, we might find we actually agree on things. We all know our government needs to be made more efficient and less bureaucratic. But there is a way to do it strategically and thoughtfully rather than with a flame thrower.

8. Rebuild Trust - How do we create trust? By getting to know one another and having conversations. By listening. By not abusing each other or hurting one another. By being honest. The current dissolution in the media world is an inevitable result of the changing technological shifts. It happens every time a new media is introduced. From the dissolution, new voices will arise that people will find trustworthy. Same in politics. Someone who was once trustworthy may no longer be due to outgrowing the global shifts. That’s okay. It’s the normal order of things. We change. We need to make room for others to change, too. And welcome them to our table when they feel ready. And as Republicans realize that the current situation may not be what they were led to believe, we need to welcome them gently back to reality and not say, “I told you so.” We also need to accept that some people will never change their views. And while it’s not our job to “save them,” if they are American, it is our job to include them.

9. Let the Young People Lead - I cried this morning when I found out David Hogg was elected Vice-Chair of the Democratic Party. I’ve been following him since the Parkland shooting. This is very good news. It’s time to let the young people — yes, AOC, Maxwell Frost, Jasmine Crockett, show us the way. We can be thankful and respectful of the “old guard” while still acknowledging that their time has passed and it’s up to new generations to create a new way of leading. We let the internet and social media platforms radicalize our young people towards the radical right. Only our young people will understand how to bring them back home.

10. Pick Your Battles and then Fight Like Hell - “When we fight, we win.” Remember that? Well, we didn’t win. And honestly, our response to the loss, the cheating, and the incessant lying has been demoralizing to many of us. Our election was bought and stolen on a battlefield we weren’t even playing on. It’s time to get the fuck back into the game and fight like hell because what other options do we have? Sit on our couch and watch the dystopian mafia holocaust movie that will come knocking at our doors? It’s not fun in real life. Ask the people of Gaza. We need to fight on all fronts. Fortunately, people like Marc Elias have been fighting relentlessly (and winning) on the legal front. But that’s not enough. We need podcasters, artists, journalists, photographers, musicians, teachers, filmmakers, community organizers, churches, mothers, fathers, scientists!, Doctors!, Farmers!, and every single American who cares about living in a safe, healthy world…it’s time to take a stand and do your part to protect our democracy, our country, and our future. Every single one of us has a voice and it’s time to use it.

I believe in the power of love to change the world. I believe in the power of non-violence. I will end with a truncated quote from the thousands of years old Chinese book the Dao De Jing by Lazozi:

“Arms are sinister things, despised, and the Dao-aware don’t tolerate them…The wise don’t rely on weapons… Pleasure in killing will never win over the world… From this, we know to treat acts of war as burial rites, to be attended only with heavy hearts. The murdered multitudes deserve tearful mourning; Victories ought to be seen as funerals.”

Whatever we do, may we do it with peace and love in our hearts. Our non-violent voices, actions, and strategies are what will turn the tide toward freedom.

Thank you.