USA TODAY International Edition
Biden would lead us to a better America
Lincoln Project is in this fight for the long haul
Last December, we launched The Lincoln Project with a clear mission: Defeat Donald Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box. Today tens of millions of Americans are making their voices heard. We believe they will repudiate this president and his core beliefs.
Those of us who formed The Lincoln Project had spent much of our professional lives working to elect Republicans. Many in our former tribe have expressed anger and disbelief that we would turn against our own party to take on a sitting president.
In our minds, there was never any other option.
The party we once called home exists now as a corrupted shell of its former self, informed by neither principle nor philosophy. It is a political Chernobyl — radioactive and dangerous but with a still unknown half- life.
Leaving this wreckage behind has led to new roads, different political paths and growing hope for the future. The support of millions of people from across the country and across the political spectrum, from far- right libertarians to far- left progressives, has been immensely gratifying and humbling. We have worked every day to put their energy, enthusiasm and donations into defeating Donald Trump and the toxic ideology of Trumpism.
Decency is not partisan
In the 10th month of a global pandemic that has fundamentally changed every facet of our everyday lives, most Americans are exhausted. We now must calculate risk to do the simplest things, like going to the grocery store. Winter is coming, and with it, tens of millions of us will be mostly trapped in our homes once again, looking out on a cold world we no longer recognize. Many school systems will shut down as infection rates spike, confining kids to homes and screens. For the many children who come from troubled homes with no screens, this pandemic is increasing the inequality in our society at an exponential rate.
We hope The Lincoln Project helped remind Americans that decency isn’t partisan; it’s American. We have endeavored to shape the political narrative that we should always be Americans first and partisans second, but never more so than in these moments of crisis. And we believe that only by doing so can we begin to talk to one another again, not with rancor and defensiveness, but with confidence that our common goal is a better country — for everyone.
In her new book, “Twilight of Democracy,” Anne Applebaum calls on democracies to engage in a common conversation. It’s easy in an era of partisan media silos to seek affirmation and validation without understanding the values of those in a different party. Increasingly, too many Americans believe their political opponents aren’t just wrong but evil.
At The Lincoln Project, we believe in fighting the big fights, because they matter. Yes, we fight with sharp elbows and piratical glee. Our vision isn’t of “Kumbaya,” but of a country where political differences don’t destroy families, rend friendships and drive people down rabbit holes of conspiracy.
What does a Joe Biden victory mean? First, it means a return to competence facing the two biggest challenges of our moment: COVID- 19 and the economy. Ideologues left and right will decry it as too little or too much, but the new president’s first, second and 10th job is to manage this virus and reset this economy.
A time to repair the republic
Soon, the time will be at hand to begin repairing and restoring many of the building blocks of our republic: We need a new Voting Rights Act. We need a new Civil Rights Act. We need to return civics education to our schools. We must find a way to engage those many Americans to whom our system feels distant and alienated.
Some have said that the Biden era would be boring. We disagree.
We believe it will be a return to an America where we face tough problems together, do the hard work of governing for the good of all Americans, where compromise is considered a goal, not an accusation. We will be in a better place when our elected officials can walk off the House or Senate floor after a brutal debate and share a beer.
All this will take a continuation of the energy, dedication and activity we’ve seen from tens of millions this year. We must harness the advocacy and passion of an election season into reforms to help make America a more just society, a fresh renewal of the long march to a better country.
For those of us able to make this our life’s work and our passion, it is even more incumbent upon us to keep the faith in the ideals of America, this great and precious gift. Whatever the outcome of this election, The Lincoln Project and the millions of people who’ve joined us will remain in this fight. The nationalist populism and authoritarian statism creeping across our nation and the world will not be defeated by one election. We must brace ourselves for a long struggle with the knowledge that however difficult the fight might be, victory is the only acceptable outcome.
This is our fight. There’s no place we’d rather be. Join us.
Reed Galen and Steve Schmidt are co- founders of The Lincoln Project. Rick Wilson is a co- founder and author of “Everything Trump Touches Dies.” Stuart Stevens is a senior adviser to The Lincoln Project and author of “It Was All A Lie.” This column also reflects the views of co- founders John Weaver, George Conway, Jennifer Horn, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid.