by Susan Platt, formerly Sen. Chuck Robb’s campaign manager, as well as a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor in 2017, and author of Love, Politics and Other Scary Things: A Memoir
If you are anything like me, these past two months post-election I have cooked, cleaned, and decorated for the holidays. I have stayed off Twitter (X) and rarely turned on the news – which had always been a constant sound in the background of the day. When Trump won the presidency in 2016, we were shocked and appalled but were ready to fight harder for our beliefs. More than a million women marched on Washington DC, and across the country to protest the misogynistic views of Donald Trump as he was about to be sworn-into office, becoming the leader of the free world. Not this time.
This time, even though he’ll be a lame duck and in four years we can give him the boot and a good riddance, we are tired. We are emotionally and physically exhausted from fighting the MAGA insurrectionists and the threats to our health, our environment, our rights, and our democracy. Our lives have changed, and not only politically. We survived many obstacles in the past years, from COVID to thirty-four felony convictions of a former president. And I have survived the death of my husband of 43 years. So, for so many good reasons, we have been taking a break. We are not stopping but catching our breath – regrouping.
I do not believe we have lost the will to fight back for our beliefs, we just do not feel hopeful or inspired, right now. We lack the motivation required now for these challenging times. We have become disengaged while we work to find our spark again.
I rallied in December, when my first book – Love, Politics, and Other Scary Things – was published. It was something good for me to celebrate as I headed into the holiday season. It was a two-year writing experience that helped me understand my losses and find my purpose and spark again. Then I read a book titled Wintering by author Katherine May. It discusses the power to reflect, rest and retreat while we re-charge. It is so true that we all need time to process our losses.
Then on January 6th, the Congress certified the Presidential election, and we were all reminded -on a constant media loop – about the insurrection of 4 years ago. This time, because we Democrats were the ones who lost, we managed the process with dignity and respect for the Constitution.
No sooner did I wonder what would be next in the ongoing political saga, than I read this morning that Donald Trump’s son will “visit Greenland in preparation for the territory becoming part of our Nation,” said a Donald Trump X post. And so, it continues. Then during Trump’s press conference, he said he was going to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. What is next? Oh, that’s right, annex Canada as a new state!
Just when I was ready to retreat into my cocoon again after watching Trump’s remarks, I received a review of my book from a reputable source for book sellers, bloggers, and journalists, which reminded me how I have lived my life – during good times and bad.
“…. this memoir is an edifying and informative read. Rather than purely personal or a story of a political journey, Susan Smocer Platt’s work is a splendid weaving together of both. In doing so, she has not only authored a memoir for those for whom her story is of interest, but one that has ramifications for the political world in which America now finds itself. She has given political activism a good name, has laid open the intricacies of combining personal and political lives and provides a message of hope and positivity.”
It is the last part – a message of hope and positivity – that reminded me why I became involved with Democratic politics over 40 years ago. I felt empowered that I would be able in some small part help make this country a better place for everyone who wanted to enjoy its freedom. While many of us are not feeling all that positive now, we have our gubernatorial election and General Assembly races to consider this year.
As 2025 begins I try to keep in mind one of my favorite quotes at times like this. Former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said, “Sometimes you have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” And fight we will. We all have the power within us to do “those scary things that don’t kill us” if only we believe we can.
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