Since Donald Trump launched his presidential campaign in 2015, the Republican party, aligned with extremist white supremacist and armed militia groups, have embraced political violence as a tactic to capture and hold on to political power. The latest violent incident involved Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s 82-year-old husband David, who was assaulted by a hammer-wielding intruder in the couple’s San Francisco home. When the suspect broke into the Pelosis’ home, the QAnon, MAGA conspiracy believer shouted, “Where is Nancy?” Police say the suspect intended to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage and break her kneecaps.
More than a few Republican candidates running in the midterm election, along with some conservative commentators, cracked jokes, using the attack on David Pelosi as a punchline in their campaign speeches and commentary. It’s not surprising that the party which has labeled the Jan. 6 insurrectionists as patriots and branded Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two unarmed racial justice protesters as a hero, would mock the violence targeting the House Speaker that they’ve demonized for decades.
In the days before the Nov. 8 midterm election, Republican-aligned groups are posting men armed with guns at election ballot drop boxes and are launching new conspiracy theories to challenge the results of any election they lose. Between The Lines’ Scott Harris spoke with Norman Solomon, co-founder of Roots Action.org and author, who explains why he believes progressive activists can play a pivotal role to defeat fascist Republicans in the 2022 midterm election.
NORMAN SOLOMON: As a practical matter, the odds of Republicans taking over the House are very good, good for them, terrible for the country. While the Senate is really on razor’s edge, all the polling and analysis tell us that it could go either way, and that’s why there are about a dozen states that are really crucial. Will the Republicans get control over the body that approves judges, including to the Supreme Court, making Mitch McConnell again, the guy in charge of the Senate? These are really open questions and while it’s easy to feel powerless, the fact is that in the coming days, progressives could play a major role as to whether the Republicans get total control of the Congress or not.
SCOTT HARRIS: What is your specific message to progressive activists about their important role in the Nov. 8th election? You say the choices between neoliberalism and fascism.
NORMAN SOLOMON: Really to grasp what is at stake. The news media tend to anesthetize us. We’re encouraged to see this as sort of an interesting political spectator sport. But whatever, whatever we care about, whether it’s student loan debt or racial equality or the environment and climate or whether it’s all aspects of social and political justice, whether in fact democracy is something that we care deeply about, all of this is on the line.
The reality is that the polling is showing in at least half a dozen up, to 8 or 10 Senate races. It’s within the margin of error or very close, and that’s why, whether in Florida or North Carolina or Pennsylvania or Nevada, this is really going to be crucial. So progressives, if we live in states where we’re being deluged with Senate ads, that’s a tip-off that it could go either way.
And I would cite somebody who has been very critical of the Democratic Party for several decades, Ralph Nader. In a historic statement last week, he said that he’s urging people to vote for Democrats, and this is really stunning and also is a reflection of just how dire the situation is, how far right the Republican party has gone, how a victory for the House and the Senate for Republicans would move this country towards fascism. Ralph Nader is not anybody who cuts the Democratic party slack. And yet he has said very clearly in recent days that the difference between the Democratic and Republican parties is enormous and that it’s incumbent upon us, it is crucial for us to make sure that Republicans are defeated and that means supporting Democratic candidates.
SCOTT HARRIS: Norman, are there a lot of progressive activists that you speak with or know about who plan on sitting out this election because they feel the Democrats have disappointed them that the agenda, the Democratic party aligns too much with corporate America’s agenda?
There’s a lot of complaints about the Democrats on foreign policy and a whole range of issues. As you’re in touch with those activists out there, how much convincing do you think they need to go to the polls and not sit it out on Nov. 8th?
NORMAN SOLOMON: There is a diminishing amount of willingness among progressives to sit out this election. But that attitude still exists. I think that’s why it’s so important that Ralph Nader has made a clear statement that progressives, people who want democracy in this country, whether you need to hold your nose or not, should vote for the Democrats on the ballot. I think there still are folks for understandable reasons, who are furious with the Democratic party, who see the militarism, who see the compromises and the Democratic party leadership all too often caving in to corporate power. That’s all real.
And at Rootsaction.org, we are frequently critical of the Democrats in Congress for failing to fight for the environment, to recognize the climate crisis, to really insist on full cancellation of student debt and a whole host of items on the progressive agenda. The reality is however, that unless we want this country to continue to move towards fascism, it’s essential. It’s absolutely necessary for us to recognize that the only way to halt that momentum would be to elect Democrats rather than Republicans.
It’s just getting real, and all too often it’s easy for us to — as progressives or liberals or however we want to describe ourselves — to say, “Well, it’s not good enough and therefore we should simply be quiet and not participate in the electoral process or vote third party, (as) the option, the realistic option to vote third party in this election and have any effect whatsoever. That option is an illusion. It’s a fantasy.
For more information, visit Roots Action at rootsaction.org and Norman Solomon’s website at normansolomon.com.
Listen to Scott Harris’ in-depth interview with Norman Solomon (18:24) and see more articles and opinion pieces in the Related Links section of this page.
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