Early this week, I was honored to be included among a bipartisan group of national leaders stepping up to protect democracy at this perilous moment.
Specifically, the Kettering Foundation announced that they were selecting leaders from across the political spectrum to serve as Senior Fellows to advance their mission of inclusive democracy.
Here’s the video announcing this important initiative:
And here’s a link to the announcement itself.
I’m honored and excited to partner with the Foundation and such a respected group of national leaders, as we all work to amplify concerns about the perilous state of democracy in the nation and world today, while shaping both broad-based solutions as well as practical ways every American can play a role in protecting democracy.
I’m especially thrilled that the Foundation is harnessing leaders from across party lines: the more I do this work, the more I’m convinced that the more multi-partisan the pro-democracy coalition is, the more effective it will be. Ohio’s Issue 1 battle—both in August and last week—became clear proof of that.
This week, my first contribution to the Foundation’s conversation ran on its blog—From Many We—where I explored the consequence for democracy and freedom of last week’s election in Ohio:
“In recent years, polling in Ohio has consistently confirmed that most Ohio voters support a woman’s right to choose. Polls have found that support hovering in the mid- to high-50s, which is a solid majority. It might not be a surprise then that 57 percent of Ohio voters recently voted Yes on Issue 1, the amendment that enshrined a right to reproductive freedom into the Ohio Constitution. That result reflected the solid majority consensus.
So how did Ohio’s Issue 1 become such an epic battle, and why was there so much uncertainty going into Election Day? Why did the outcome feel far more meaningful than a simple confirmation of where Ohioans already stood?
Because in the year leading up to the election, Ohio officials repeatedly used government power itself to try to suppress that majority viewpoint. The actions of the government officials converted an already weighty battle over reproductive freedom into a far deeper battle over core democratic principles. The voters made the ultimate victory of Issue 1 a sweeping vindication for democracy itself.”
LINK HERE to read the rest.
More to come….
So well deserved! I admire your work in the trenches with democracy activists and your ability to analyze and clearly communicate how the system is being undermined by our current anti-democratic politicians.
David, CONGRATS!!!! We want you in Congress