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How I'm feeling about the presidential race

The first votes in the 2020 presidential election start tonight, while Donald Trump is standing trial in the U.S. Senate for abuse of power and obstruction.

It's a lot, isn't it? Here's my bottom line:

Make no mistake, our We the People democracy is on the ballot in November. The Republican Party has firmly committed itself to locking in minority rule through dark money, voter suppression, gerrymandering, and now giving license to the president to use his office to manipulate elections.

Also on the ballot: whether we meet the climate crisis that's already impacting all of us. Whether your health is a right, or a profit center for huge corporations. Access to higher education, good career and technical training, and a K-12 education that prepares kids to thrive. Clean air and water. And so much more.

There are so many qualified and inspiring candidates running for the Democratic nomination. I'm sure you have a favorite (or two or three).

But, please, no matter how much passion you have for your favored candidate, how hard you fight to help them win, please save a little space in your heart for whoever eventually wins our party's nomination.

At that point we have to come together with 110% of our energy to put him or her into the Oval Office.

We have to fight like hell to defeat Donald Trump.

Every single Democrat running for president would be a huge improvement over the corruption, lying, hate, and attacks on democracy coming from this White House and this administration. And the way we're going to win is if we all unite together against the biggest threat of all: four more years of a Trump-Pence presidency.

And not just the White House. In order to make the big change we want to see, we have to take back the Senate from Mitch McConnell and the Republicans. The Senate is currently sitting on hundreds of bills that have passed the House because Mitch McConnell refuses to bring them up for a vote. We have to organize in our communities, knock on doors, make phone calls, chip in donations, and send Mitch McConnell packing.

So, as the first results come in tonight, and the presidential race unfolds, remember, we are all in this together. We all want to see a Democrat in the White House. We all want an economy that works for all of us, not just the wealthy few. We all want a president who espouses compassion, empathy and competence.

And we all want to put this very dark period in history behind us.

It's time to Dump Trump, Ditch Mitch, and Save America! We can get there, together.

Onward!

Jeff

Posted on February 3, 2020.

Born in the small town of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, Jeff Merkley has never lost touch with his working class roots.

As a U.S. Senator, he works every day to create opportunity for working families, stop the corruption of our democracy, and tackle the climate crisis.

A workhorse and a progressive champion, Jeff Merkley is leading a movement to get our country back on track.

Meet Jeff

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