I started this column on the day of the nationwide “No Kings” rally, October 18. This movement, which advocates for a more democratic and equitable society, has gained significant momentum. There were more than 2,700 peaceful gatherings in cities and small towns across the country. Some estimate that this is the largest organized “protest” rally, more than 7 million people strong, in the history of our country.
Similar rallies protesting the authoritarian policies of President Trump’s administration took place in multiple foreign countries.
I’ve heard from several friends who stepped out to join the peaceful, almost joyful rallies around the country. My last home, the sparsely populated Cook County (about 5,500 people), had a rally in its capital (only city) with about 500 people attending. For those who don’t know, Cook County is larger in square miles than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware.
Watching videos of the ‘No Kings’ rallies, it was evident that the crowds were a true reflection of the diverse America we all know. People of all ages, genders, and races, representing a variety of economic backgrounds and occupations, came together to advocate for change. The sheer ordinariness of the people protesting was a powerful testament to the movement’s broad appeal and inclusivity.
My naturally optimistic nature has taken an absolute shellacking this year.
Seeing the president grant pardons to all those who committed criminal acts during the Capitol invasion of January 6, 2021, was just the start. Next, the appointment of clearly unqualified people to lead important, necessarily independent government agencies. Capped off when an unelected, ultra-wealthy South African businessperson was granted a chainsaw to randomly fire people, close agencies, and access the database of the Social Security Administration.
Adding to the absurdity of its Citizens United decision, the Supreme Court conveyed unlimited powers to the Executive Branch, including immunity from historically illegal acts.
Large, organized protests are part of the American Way. Sometimes violent, these protests often are the defining events that change the course of politics.
Political change inevitably comes gradually, and then suddenly. A character in Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises was asked how he went bankrupt. His reply was: “Two ways, gradually and then suddenly.” This phrase suggests major transitions are the culmination of a long, slow, often unnoticed decline.
Earlier this century, the Great Recession and the election of a black President spurred the Tea Party movement. Although not as large as the “No Kings” movement, it contained similar characteristics and influence. The Tea Party, like “No Kings,” was a populist
movement that emerged in 2009, seeking to appeal to “ordinary people” who feel that the established elite disregards their concerns. It was a loose knit, grassroots network of organizations, and its members, sometimes dressed in funny 18th-century costumes, often carried the US flag to express their patriotism.
On February 19, 2009, CNBC business news editor Rick Santelli made an impassioned, viral on-air statement from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, proposing a “Tea Party” to protest President Barack Obama’s mortgage relief plan and government bailouts. Thus, it began.
The highly decentralized movement generally advocated for reducing the national debt and federal budget deficit, cutting government spending, and shrinking the federal government.
The first coordinated national Tea Party rally was held in over 40 cities on February 27, 2009. On April 15 of that year, more than 750 Tea Party rallies took place nationwide in opposition to stimulus and bailout spending.
The Tea Party rallies quickly translated into political influence, primarily by shaping the Republican Party from within. The Tea Party successfully backed numerous conservative candidates in the 2010 Republican primaries, defeating more moderate incumbent Republicans, leading to a Republican “wave election” in 2010
You don’t hear much about the Tea Party today. Still, one could argue that, through the candidates it helped elect, it fundamentally changed the way our country is governed and, inadvertently perhaps, created today’s No Kings moment. It happened gradually, and then suddenly. This historical example shows the potential impact of grassroots movements like the ‘No Kings’ movement on our political landscape.
After the 2004 national elections, I witnessed the overwhelming political winds that arise when a presidential regime overreaches its authority. I met many people who never considered themselves political activists but came to community meetings to help elect the next president from my favorite party.
Those who dismiss people at Saturday’s rallies as paid actors, ignorant buffoons, or even terrorists are about to learn how wrong they are.
Optimism restored.
