Words have power. They do not deserve a democratic title.

Typically in politics it is easier for the left to mobilize against a Republican president than it is to mobilize against a Democratic president, even in the cases when the Republican president or Democratic president are pushing the same exact thing.

Democratic countries don’t invade their neighbors. Democratic countries don’t harbor terrorists. Democratic countries don’t use weapons of mass destruction.

President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have risen as historic symbols of courage and principle. Ukraine is the tip of the spear for the democratic embrace of dreams. If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.

Like a lot of people, I had this naive hope that Barack Obama would fix everything quickly. You know, the culture of celebrity in this country leads us away from democratic ways of thinking and into this hero worship.

And so of course, one man cannot swoop in and fix everything on his own. It’s much more complicated and difficult than that, and progressives in this country since then have had to come to terms with the fact that we need to do more than actually get out of our house and vote. It’s an ongoing process to turn the tide.

The filibuster is an affront to commonly understood democratic norms, but then so is the Senate.