The Sorensen Monologues

Cap-itulation

I’ve seen snippets of commentary from some Democratic officials and prominent opinion-havers suggesting, somewhat ominously, that the party needs to shift to the right culturally (sometimes expressed in the veiled language of “abandoning special interests”) in order to appeal to working class voters. But as I’ve noted before, nothing the Dems do is going to make a difference in this media environment. 

All the rage that should have been directed at private equity, extreme inequality, the top-heavy billionaire class, union-busting CEOs, hedge funds buying up real estate and evicting renters, corporate consolidation and monopolies, and the lack of a national health insurance system for all, was redirected towards marginalized groups — women, people of color, immigrants, transgender people. Anyone who defends the old values of democracy, human rights, and evidence-based reality is going to be demonized no matter what they do or do not say. The GOP’s media juggernaut will always find something to hold up for mockery. The angertainment will never stop. We need to double down on decency or we have nothing left.

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From Dawn to Dusk

Post-election commentary has largely devolved into a circular firing squad aimed at various Democratic subgroups while ignoring the elephant in the room. I think the main question we should be asking is not “What did we do wrong?” so much as “How did something this depraved happen?” I found myself agreeing a lot with this New Republic article, which makes the case for the overwhelming dominance of right-wing media and how it sets the agenda for the national conversation. While Democrats have not always been great about messaging (though they made a pretty good effort this election cycle), it’s not like any improved messaging is going to be heard by a majority of Americans at this point.

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It Did Happen Here

I actually think Harris ran a good campaign. I give her credit for choosing a solid progressive in Tim Walz. This was a largely pro-labor, pro-union administration, not that most people know it.

This election was utter madness. If you want to point fingers, point them at democracy’s most powerful saboteurs:  the oligarchs who destroyed reality through deranged media, and those who carried water for them. Also, misogyny didn’t help. 

(And by “we,” I mean the nation as a whole blew it — not the people who worked hard to prevent this from happening.)

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Election Preppin’

This week’s comic was tricky since I had to draw it on Monday, but it won’t be published most places until Wednesday or later. This is a little professional challenge that comes up every four years.

The Roy Ayers album is a reference to one of the purchases Kamala Harris made at a DC record store, ultimately inspiring the “Kamala holding vinyl” internet meme. 

I find myself thinking of the George W. Bush quote, “There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.” 

Let’s hope we don’t get fooled again.

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