Stop telling me what New Hampshire can’t do
Whenever I support a progressive candidate, I often hear the same response from fellow Democrats: “But this is New Hampshire.”
What they’re really saying is that we should lower our expectations because powerful interests, big money and conservative forces are too strong to overcome.
I disagree.
If history teaches us anything, it is that meaningful change has never come from accepting the political landscape as permanent. It came from ordinary citizens who challenged it. There was a time when Social Security, Medicare, labor unions, women’s suffrag, and civil rights were all dismissed as unrealistic. Had previous generations accepted the advice to “be practical,” many of those achievements would never have happened.
If we believe that money has too much influence in politics, then we should challenge it — not surrender to it. If we believe working families deserve affordable healthcare, childcare and economic fairness, then we should campaign for those ideas — not hide them because someone says they aren’t politically safe.
The greatest obstacle to change is not always the opposition. Sometimes it is the belief that change is impossible.
I am an independent because I vote for principles, not party labels. I don’t expect every election to be easy, but I do expect Democrats to fight for the values they claim to believe in.
Please don’t tell me what New Hampshire can’t do.
Tell me what we’re willing to fight for.