North Texas Daily

Billy Poer

For the last few months, the election gripped just about everything progressives saw and heard in the news. In my opinion, it’s because the stakes became so high for every progressive issue imaginable.

At some point, it became clear that even things we had taken for granted – our innumerable rights and previous victories among other matters – were on the chopping block. The reality of the progressive movement has been looking bleak as of late.

But for those who are reading this, please make no mistake, the progressive movement has an entirely bright future nationally, in Texas and here in Denton. We must continue to be hopeful for America’s future.

To add context and reasons to be hopeful, there is large precedent for this. The progressives and Democrats regained control of the House and Senate in 2006 after the consequences of George W. Bush’s unified Republican government. Even Ronald Reagan couldn’t keep Republican control of the Senate near the end of his presidency.

What is even more anticipative of our success is how the election turned out in Texas.

Since 1980, Republicans have massively won Texas during every election period. This month, however, Republicans won Texas by only 9 percent of the national vote – the smallest margin for a Republican nominee in a red state in two decades. And Denton County saw its best progressive turnout since 2008, despite the lack of fervor and overall success than the Obama campaign. Times are changing.

As the waves of conservative legislation get pushed through on every level, we progressives will be keeping tally to read every destructive decision of theirs back to them. And this will continue on every Election Day for the next four years. If we are to take Trump’s words as literal policy proposals, we will have a lot to fight against.

If anyone says there is no public showing of this movement, they are dead wrong because the rallies and protests at UNT are clear evidence that we are all ready to fight back.

Unfortunately, rallies and protests don’t do much in the long run. They only show important solidarity and do nothing to sway the minds of voters.

I dropped everything to help Hillary Clinton’s campaign in Florida this year, and coming from statistics and experience, contacting voters directly is the only way we can make a difference. This means making phone calls, going to community events and knocking on doors from sunup ’till sundown persuading voters and churning out votes.

Not everyone can do these things, but for those who truly want to make a difference, please reach out. We are here. We are ready. We are organizing.