What will America decide?

It’s time for the American people to speak. It’s the one day every two years that the voice of the unheard and the voice of those who ensure they are unheard compete on a level playing field.

The world is waiting. Just one week to go, and then we’ll know. Will the long road to redemption begin, or will the world sink further into the abyss? We’ve been here before, thinking everything would change, only to find it never did. Will this time be different? I really couldn’t tell you. In this crazy upside-down world, who knows what comes next?

This isn’t just a test for Republicans; it’s also a test for the Democratic Party to see whether progressive voices will be handed seats at the table. It’s a chance to see whether people-first politics has a place in America. In a week’s time, the Gravy Train will depart Washington Station again, and corporate Democrats are already securing their tickets. The burning question is: will it be more of the same old same old, or will Democrats finally become Democrats again and embark on the transformative evolution they badly need for 2028? I don’t have the answer, but we may know more after next week.

Understandably, there’s a lot of talk about what will happen if Democrats actually win big. For the record, I really hope they do. The big question is what they’ll do with subpoena power. Before we get there, though, we’ve got to consider the shenanigans Trump might use to interfere with the result. Accountability is knocking, and he doesn’t want to answer. That makes him dangerous, and I’m pretty sure Russell Vought and his little elves will have plans. The truth is, nobody knows what will happen next Tuesday, but given the past, one can’t help but worry.

I have little doubt that these will be the most consequential midterm elections in modern American history. They will determine whether we can finally put the brakes on this madness or whether the struggle will plague us for two more years. While investigations into the regime’s corrupt behaviour are essential, the American people will be looking to Democrats (should they win) to use their majority to make life better for those who are hurting as a result of Trump’s abandonment of the bottom 90%. The challenge is balancing holding Trump to account while improving the lives of hardworking Americans.

My concern isn’t whether that’s possible, but whether Democratic leadership has the appetite to truly effect change. I believe the jury is still out. As I pointed out yesterday, many voters, whether we like it or not, won’t choose Democrats out of love and affection, but rather as the lesser of two evils. There’s a big difference between winning on your own terms and winning because everybody hates the other guy. That said, a win is a win. Right?

Regardless, Trump will do what Trump does. He’ll flout the law. He’ll use every lever of government to avoid accountability no matter the cost. A deluge of frivolous lawsuits will try to clog the courts and the election certification process. This will allow him to continue his dangerous shadow legislative agenda through executive action. The proclamations won’t stop just because his party has lost the midterms. He’s never respected the rule of law or the Constitution, so to think everything will change because the Democrats win the midterms is fanciful.

It’s never over until it’s over, but if Democrats do emerge victorious next Tuesday, nothing will fundamentally changeunless the party undergoes a revolution before 2028. The American people deserve better. They deserve a political class that puts people before everything else, but that hasn’t happened yet. What hope is there that it will happen if Democrats win? I can’t answer that question. All we can do is hope, but I won’t hold my breath.

There’s no question the Democratic Party has an abundance of talent. The real question isn’t whether it exists, but whether it will be let off the leash to do the job it wants. I can’t help feeling that, in many ways, this is a last-chance saloon for a party that lost its way long ago. They have just two years to prove to the country that they can be trusted to do what’s right for hardworking Americans. I desperately want them to succeed, so please don’t mistake my scepticism for a lack of support. It’s just that when I look back at history and the opportunity that Democrats have had over and over again, I find it hard to believe that this time will be any different. Maybe that’s just the old sceptic in me.

As I see it, much hinges on how well progressive candidates fare, and that, in itself, will test American voters. If they fall by the wayside, then what? Corporate America will be very nervous over the coming week. The results will determine their hold on the legislative process. Predictably, once the election’s over, the DNC won’t be reaching out to the Democratic base every day, as they do now when they want your money. All will go silent again until the next election. If change is to happen, the base has to get loud, and it has to do it soon. They have to shape the direction of travel because they’re the only ones who can drive the much-needed change.

The party needs a reset, built on an honest look at how it responded to the 2024 defeat.There can be no deafening silence for the next two years because democracy’s survival depends on it. They need to walk and chew gum at the same time. They need to hold the regime to account while helping shape a legislative agenda that will deliver for the American people. It won’t be easy. This regime will do everything in its power to resist and obstruct; it’s what they do. What must not happen at the end of this tragic episode in American history is to move on without holding to account those who have almost destroyed a nation.

The road to redemption will be long and arduous. The world certainly won’t welcome America back with open arms. The scale of the scepticism and the trust deficit is hard to comprehend.There’ll be no return to business as usual after this regime falls. The American people will never forgive Democrats if they don’t get a grip and shape a better tomorrow for those who have suffered so much. Republican lite must not be tolerated. Fresh thinking is required: the “audacity of hope”, as Obamacalled it, has to make a comeback. It needs a willingness to step outside the comfort zone and deliver a vision for a better tomorrow.

Can they shake offthe shackles of corporate control that has long held the Democratic Party hostage? The same corporate control that has brought us to where we are today. There’s no question that America can live up to its potential; it always has. It’s just a much bigger challengenow, given what Trump has done and the trust that he squandered in pursuit of self-enrichment.

The world is broken, and while it’s not all Trump’s fault, a great deal of it is. Does America truly want to cosy up to Putin, a man wanted by the International Criminal Court since March 2023? Does it really want to abandon its European allies? Does it really want to throw the Ukrainian people under the bus? Does it really want to hold the people of Cuba hostage? That’s not who America is. There’s much work to do and little time in which to do it. I still believe in the American people and their ability to say, “Enough is enough.” It’s time to begin healing.

For the world to heal again, we need a reckoning. People have to be held accountable. Frankly, people need to stand trial, but history tells us that those who abuse power and belong to the political class rarely face justice. They simply walk away as the party in power argues it’s time to move on. That cannot happen this time. Otherwise, it will all happen again, and next time it’s likely to be worse, with no road back.

So here’s my message for today. To the American people, I say: your future is in your hands. A week from today, the vote of a postman, a teacher, or an Amazon driver is worth just as much as the vote of the richest man in America. Don’t waste that levelling-up moment that happens every two years. In a nation out of control, you can be the brake. Collectively, the American people can say no. Enough. It’s time to put an end to the division, the hate, and the perpetual state of anxiety. We all make mistakes. As humans, we find it hard to admit it, but in this case, it’s time to move past the embarrassment and make it right.