What's next?
If you're like us, you probably spent Tuesday night celebrating, and then sleeping, and then celebrating some more. But you also kept hearing that question. What's next?
As the results came in, our president -- for four more years -- had an answer to that question.
"Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual... But that doesn't mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America's never been about what can be done for us; it's about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. That's the principle we were founded on."
That's what TheAction.org is about!
Those words meant a lot to both of us. I (Kal) joined the Obama campaign in Iowa in 2007, speaking and organizing. I (Natalie) started out as a volunteer for Obama for America and then became Organizing for America's New Media Director in 2009. Since then, we've worked in the administration, in the private sector, and with organizations of all stripes, including some that have never been involved in these fights before. No matter what our job description, we've had our President's back.
And we'll admit it: we're tired! We'd love to sit back, take a nap, and let Washington deal with its own problems. But if we do that, all the special interests who tried to buy a presidential election will move into that vacant space, and we could lose a lot of the momentum and balance that we fought so hard for.
By midnight on December 31st, Congress will decide: will they ask the wealthiest Americans to do their fair share so we can do what's needed to get the economy back on track, or will they gut everything that matters to working folks. We know what the American people want, because we just had a huge election on it -- but we need to show Congress that we're still here, we're still watching, and we're still ready to make noise if they try to keep putting millionaires ahead of the middle class.
If 2008 and 2012 have taught us anything, it's that we get to decide. "If we work hard, and work together, we can overpower all the special interests that have controlled Washington for so long."
So here's the plan. Some of the Obama campaign's top organizers are joining a coalition of progressive groups -- the Common Purpose Project -- to launch "The Action." It's a campaign to end the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000 a year. They'll be making a historic amount of noise -- let me rephrase - very targeted, driven, motivated, respectful, and purposeful noise -- to support the president in bringing about some real change and letting Congress know that letting the wealthiest Americans off without paying their fair share is a non-negotiable demand. It's one of the things that America voted for on Tuesday.
We're writing this piece because they need the help of every grassroots volunteer, everyone who made a phone call, everyone who knocked a door, everyone who carried a sign, everyone who hosted a house party. If you care about President Obama's movement for change, they need you. And that's why we'll be joining them.
It starts by spreading the word. Visit TheAction.org and download an "Action Kit." Follow The Action on Twitter at Twitter.com/JoinTheAction and be sure to like the Facebook page at Facebook.com/JoinTheAction. If you're on social media, make sure you use the hashtag #TheAction.
The election is over, but the fight isn't. We know that we can break through the gridlock in Congress, but only by increasing pressure on our representatives in their home districts. If we speak with one voice, they'll hear us. Let's bring it home for the president. Let's start his second term off right. And, more importantly, let's stand up for the families who are still struggling to get back on their feet. Now is the time for Action. Let's do this.