As a millennial, I’m weary of these unprecedented times. Rapid advancements, significant disruptions and transformative shifts across various aspects of life have rendered existing norms, expectations and precedents obsolete.
Like many of you, I could use some regular time for a while. As we approach the dog days of summer and the critical general election, I implore everyone to vote for change and a return to regular times. The stakes of the presidential election could not be any clearer. The candidates running for president of the United States present complete opposites.
Our two major political parties are running platforms with two opposing views of society. The Grand Old Party wants to turn back the hands of time, while the Democratic Party looks toward the future. We can either revert to the politics of the 19th century with “Make America Great Again” or will we continue to progress in the next American century because “we are not going back.”
Americans will have to choose on November 5th, and I hope we choose Vice President Kamala Harris.
Electing Harris as president would represent a meaningful step forward for the nation and a beacon of hope for our evolving values and aspirations. Her presidency would mark a return to regular times, even if it would be a series of historic firsts.
Let’s embrace this potential for positive change and vote for a brighter future. The momentum of the Harris campaign is nothing short of remarkable. In the hours after President Biden announced that he would pass the torch to the next generation, the Democratic Party saw a surge of enthusiasm and motivation. The collection of interest groups that form the Democratic Party has seemingly and organically started to plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize in ways we haven’t seen since President Obama launched a historic campaign in 2008. Democrats are determined. We are not going back.
Black Women for Harris organized a call in which 40,000 women raised nearly $1.5 million. Black men countered and organized a call in which 50,000 men joined and raised over $1.3 million. White women also answered the call by organizing nearly 120,000 women and raising over $2 million in a couple of hours. White dudes for Kamala also joined the chat with over 100,000 white men in attendance and raised over $4 million.
Similar calls have popped up in every demographic of the Democratic Party’s coalition. The grassroots support of Harris is unprecedented — however, money and campaign contributions will not win this election. We must act, engage our friends and neighbors, and show up to the polls in overwhelming numbers.
A tectonic shift is occurring in our politics, and I am delighted to see this type of unity and solidarity. The mission to elect Harris represents a significant step forward for the country in terms of experience, policy innovation, leadership and representation. Her extensive background in law and politics, coupled with her progressive policy positions and commitment to social justice, is the medicine that the Democratic Party needs to make our vision for America a reality. We are not going back.
I also want to urge caution and focus as we navigate these next few months. I want us to recognize that we are going to experience an unprecedented amount of misogynoir, misinformation, voter suppression and voter intimidation.
The GOP and right-wing extremists are also organizing and mobilizing. MAGA extremism will only get worse as Donald Trump’s fanatical impulses grow, as we have started to see with Harris’ credentials being questioned and her service being relegated to affirmative action or likened to a “DEI hire.”
The worst impulses of what used to be an honorable political party are now a party of Trumpism and extremism. We must remain focused on the mission of preventing a second Trump term and protecting us from the draconian policy agenda outlined in Project 2025 and Agenda 47. We are not going back.
The Democratic Party is focused on the future. We are a big tent party committed to inclusivity, representation, justice, truth, community and democracy. We focus on all Americans and must stand with the vice president in this critical hour.
Throughout her political career, she has been a vocal advocate for civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, climate change and gun safety. She is prepared to be our next president.
The Harris campaign has shown its ability to connect with diverse communities and build broad coalitions of support. It will be on us to carry her and all of the Democrats up and down the ballot in November, including my friend Whitney Fox, who is running to unseat Anna Paulina Luna, a Trump disciple. We also need to send our former governor and current U.S. senator Rick Scott to a luxury retirement community by electing Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell to the U.S. Senate.
Harris has served the American people for the last three and a half years under the deeply impactful presidency of Joe Biden.
He passed the torch and is shining a light on the next American century. The Biden-Harris Administration demonstrated an ability to manage crises effectively, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supported a world-leading economic recovery. Her crisis management skills are crucial for addressing future challenges and ensuring the nation’s well-being.
We are not going back. We must elect Kamala Harris as president of the United States.
Johnny V. Boykins is a Democratic strategist and organizer in Pinellas County, a husband, bow tie aficionado, amateur chef and U.S. Coast Guard veteran. He also serves as a board member of the Pinellas Democratic Party.
