Many Americans and people around the world were able to sleep easy the last few days after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s win. People took the streets in impromptu parades and block parties to celebrate America moving back to normalcy.
While half of America is celebrating, the Trump camp has been having meltdowns, claiming voter fraud and filing law suits. For many, voting Trump was the end game. Forever FLOTUS Michelle Obama is reminding everyone that Biden’s win is the start of the road back to healing the nation. She tells everyone to take the time to celebrate but to get ready to be knee deep in work to shift America. Below are a few quotes from her Instagram via People:
“I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it,” Mrs. Obama wrote at the start of a lengthy statement shared on social media.
“Thank you to all of you who poured every ounce of your hope and determination into this democracy over these past four years, registering voters, getting them to the polls, keeping folks informed. More votes were cast in this election than ever before. It’s because of you,” she added. “And after we celebrate — and we should all take a moment to exhale after everything we’ve been through — let’s remember that this is just a beginning. It’s a first step. Voting in one election isn’t a magic wand, and neither is winning one.”
“Let’s remember that tens of millions of people voted for the status quo, even when it meant supporting lies, hate, chaos, and division. We’ve got a lot of work to do to reach out to these folks in the years ahead and connect with them on what unites us,” the former first lady wrote.
“But we’ve also got to recognize that the path to progress will always be uphill. We’ll always have to scrape and crawl up toward that mountaintop. And two years from now, four years from now, there will once again be no margin for error,” she added. “We see now the reality that we can’t take even the tiniest part of our democracy for granted. Every single vote must count — and every single one of us must vote. And as a country, we should be making it easier, not harder to cast a ballot.”
Mrs. Obama also encouraged the country to continue the fight for justice and not sink into a state of complacency. “It’s up to us to stay engaged and informed, to keep speaking out and marching on. We’ve got to vote in even greater numbers in the upcoming Senate runoffs in Georgia—and every state and local election going forward,” she continued.
“We’ve got to promise each other that our focus in this election won’t be an anomaly, but the rule. That’s how we can not only feel this way right now, but in the months and years ahead. It’s the only way we’ll build a nation worthy of our children,” she added. “My warmest congratulations again to Joe and Jill, Kamala and Doug—and each of you who stepped up when your country needed you.”
Michelle Obama will always be forever FLOTUS. However, (off topic) I must admit that one of the things I am really excited about the Biden/Harris Presidency is having Dr. Jill Biden as FLOTUS. I used to love Michelle and Jill’s sisterhood during the Obama presidency. With that being said, I love how Michelle is keeping it completely real about the road ahead. Yes, let’s celebrate but the road to recovery is not over. After this weekend of elation and celebration, we will all need to get to work. In order for Biden to be able to do the things that need to get done, after we dump Trump he will need to have a balanced senate.
I am looking to get involved with the Georgia runoff in January. I will most likely do some phone banking for the two candidates. Seeing the abuse of power the last few years has motivated me and hopefully volunteering will keep the helplessness at bay. As for Michelle, I have loved seeing how she has stayed engaged with the process. First by co-chairing When We All Vote and also by reminding us to put the work in. I love that Michelle practices what she preaches. She has be leading by example and I will forever admire her for that.
On a side note – The Biden/Harris Presidential Transition team has created a website that provides information on Biden and Harris’s priorities for their administration called Build Back Better. The Biden/Harris team has also created a donation site to help raise money for democratic candidates especially for the runoff in Georgia. It’s the Biden Fight Fund.
Update by Celebitchy: You can sign up to send postcards to Georgia voters here. Here’s a link to 100 Vote postcards on Amazon for $12.99.
Here is a tweet from Georgian shero Stacey Abrams on how to get involved to help flip the senate in Georgia in the January runoff:
Georgia, thank you. Together, we have changed the course of our state for the better. But our work is not done.
Join me in supporting @ReverendWarnock and @ossoff so we can keep up the fight and win the U.S. Senate➡️https://t.co/JTyH1UVEtd #LetsGetItDoneAgain #gapol pic.twitter.com/qH5ZfmsgI7
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) November 7, 2020
Frontpage image is a screenshot from this video on Instagram
I really like what she said about the path to progress being uphill. People are resistant to change and we need to acknowledge that. It’s going to be a long road for serious change to occur and we shouldn’t expect it to happen overnight.
Agreed. And while I loved everything she said, I read it with a growing sense of unease at the difficulties that lie ahead. While I was elated on Saturday when they called the election for Biden, it was not the same feeling I had in 2008, when I was so hopeful that Obama’s victory try was the start of a brighter new chapter for the U.S. Now I know how deeply the forces of racism and bigotry run, and how willing the Republicans are to abandon truth, integrity, good faith in their pursuit of power. I wish I could say I was optimistic, or even cautiously optimistic. Instead I’m scared at what 2022 and 2024 holds for us. We can not once, not even for a second, let up in the fight to keep our republic.
I hear you. I’m trying to be optimistic in that at least we KNOW what we’re up against now, you know? Like we know that Mitch McConnell doesn’t care about actually helping people, he cares about seating republican judges, full stop. We know that the Republicans in congress will stop at nothing to solidify their power and minority rule. It’s depressing, but I’m trying to find light in the fact that we’re not as hopeful as we were in 2008. We know what we’re up against now.
^^^^
Same. Exactly. This is so far from 2008. Boy was I naive back then.
The fact that over 70 million people voted for the status quo shows that there are just as many of them as there are of us. And that should scare us all. Yes, voter suppression and gerrymandering are obstacles to voting, but the myth that we have far greater numbers than them may no longer be valid.
Midnight this was the most horrifying lesson to come out of last week. When I found out that he received 5 million MORE votes last week than he did in 2016…it kind of cemented my plans of eventually relocating.
It’s terrifying. After the past four years, how can someone go to a voting booth and say, yes, I want more!!! I’m not sure what to do about it. I know we say that we aren’t interested in their motives, and I don’t want to see another flurry of Hillbilly Elegy types of books trying to explain the rural white voter to me – but we have to figure out a way to reach some of those voters*. This election was way too close for comfort at the end of the day.
*I’m just not sure how to do this without feeling like we’re emboldening racists or placating assholes, you know?
Michelle is so right……….we must continue to be engage; GA is next, we need to retake the Senate otherwise from 2021 – 2022 will be a nightmare with Mitch McConnell blocking every single piece of legislation………this tells you how dysfunctional the US government has become!
Michelle is my forever FLOTUS; thx gosh Melania and her #BeBest BS will be kicked out in a few days and we will have Dr Jill Biden occupying that position; Hopefully she will do more than Melania ever did or bothered to do.
Democrats HAVE to win those Georgia seats or we are once again stuck with McConnell making sure everything grinds to a halt again. The very fact that he has not congratulated Biden yet and is contributing to the idea that somehow something suspicious has gone on with the ballots should tell you that – he has zero intention on giving up power.
Democrat leadership needs to listen to Stacy Abrams and their progressive constituents and colleagues because these are the folks that really clinched the race, no matter how they would like to pretend otherwise. Continuing to cling to the idea that you ONLY try to appeal to “centrist” or “moderate “ voters or spend so much focus on courting Republican voters (it’s not going to work, for fucks sake – even more of them voted for him than last time so quit talking about how great the Lincoln Project was because it’s delusional) is killing this party and alienating the very people who helped lead you to victory AGAIN. It is frustrating as hell to watch this commitment to self destruction.
Sis, I just gave you a standing ovation from my couch. This all of this.
As others said, I like that Michelle is keeping it real. 70 million people voted for Trump and many of them don’t accept the results of the election. It’s not done until the lawsuits are thrown out and the electors follow through with America’s wishes.
The GOP invested heavily in skewing SCOTUS for this reason. But I also think the lawsuits are an excuse to pay off his campaign debt (And btw who financed the campaign debt Or did he use the money he raised to pay off his $451 million and now can’t pay venues … hence the landscaping company?)
As always, Michelle Obama is 100% correct.
We caught ourselves before we went over the cliff, but we still have so much work to do. We will ALWAYS have work to do. But it’s work worth doing.
I’m signed on to 2 postcard projects for Georgia, and hope to do some phone or text banking too. I also donated to Ossoff and Warnock separately, and then their joint fund.
I am super excited to have Dr. Biden as our new FLOTUS, and really look forward to whatever she wants to do. I hope she and our first Second Gentleman (!) enjoying working together as much as she and Michelle did (and that Michelle participates as well!)
Non-American here – I need to ask a dumb question: What is phone banking and how does it work?
Anyways, I love the Dr Biden was in the White House with Mrs Obama and already knows the workings in a way. I hope she and the Second Gentleman can come up with some great ways to show solidarity and help out the country.
Phone banking is when you call up potential voters or let them know about registering and getting out to vote; If I am not mistaken, non-Americans can do this as well. Im gonna look into the postcard project someone above mention. If you wish to help come back to see if we can find some links.
Thank you!
I was able to donate to “Romancing the Runoff” as they have set up an international donations page and would love to see what else I can do. Thank you!
I was also going to ask what I can do from overseas as well! I’d love if we could come up with some simple things we could do – I’d be happy to write some postcards and will donate to Romancing the Runoff.
Michelle Obama is my hero. She always keeps it real.
She is right, there is an uphill climb and much work to be done.
I am grateful for the 75,596,426 Americans who voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
We must never lose sight that 71,043,601 voted for Trump. That is chilling.
You rock, thanks for putting up the Georgia information it’s so important