What should you do after Idaho’s demoralizing election? Show up for your neighbors | Opinion
Things look grim.
As of late Tuesday night, it seemed quite possible that the tiny group of Democrats in the Idaho Legislature, who sometimes could join with centrist Republicans to block far-right policies, could shrink even further.
The Open Primaries Initiative, which could have helped address the yawning gap between Idahoans’ policy preferences and the actions of their elected officials, failed by a wide margin.
And Donald Trump, who has been found liable for sexual assault, who faces a slew of criminal charges for which he will almost certainly pardon himself immediately, and who attempted to keep power after losing the last election, seemed on his way to victory not only in the Electoral College but in the popular vote. He will almost certainly have the Senate on his side and maybe the House, as well.
In all, it was a terrible night if you are someone who cares about the rights of women, about decent treatment for immigrants, about the future of democracy, about basic decency.
But on Wednesday morning, the question is what to do.
A slew of defeats like this is demoralizing. Lots of people are scared. Lots of people feel their actions are futile. It’s tempting to retreat from public engagement, to avoid the news, just to give up.
But passive despair is a luxury you can’t afford.
If you’re feeling scared, know that there is almost certainly someone more vulnerable than you who is more afraid. Show up for them.
Idaho has banned basic health care for transgender children, banned abortion in almost all cases and refused to make it illegal to evict someone just because they’re gay. That’s all under the old regime, and the new one will be more cruel and aggressive.
There are efforts to attack public lands, to delist endangered species for political reasons and to undermine the basic social safety net.
Many of these attacks are going to succeed. Elections have consequences, and we are going to lose things that are real and valuable because of how this one went.
But the future is not determined. It’s up to us.
If there was a lesson to take away from the first Trump presidency, it’s that the opposition holds a lot of power, even if it doesn’t hold office, as long as it is persistent.
Think back: A central mission of Trump’s first presidency was to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He failed totally. Soon he’ll be claiming he invented it. Another was to build the wall from San Diego, California, to Brownsville, Texas. Take a look at it for yourself.
Many in the Idaho Legislature vowed to reverse Medicaid expansion after it passed. Today, Idahoans in the former coverage gap are insured, despite total control of state government by the GOP for two decades.
The greatest virtue of Idaho’s opposition is that it has weathered countless defeats and shown itself capable of showing up nonetheless. It’s approaching 15 years that dedicated people have been campaigning to add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to Idaho’s anti-discrimination law. And every year, they show up again.
So keep showing up.
Keep showing up when it feels useless. Keep showing up when you lose — show up especially when you lose.
Keep showing up because your neighbors need you, and you need them.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 7:28 AM with the headline "What should you do after Idaho’s demoralizing election? Show up for your neighbors | Opinion."