The Morning After

Something extraordinary could happen in America on November 3.

And I’m not talking about another ordinary midterm election.

I’m talking about the possibility of a political earthquake.

A blue wave.

A dramatic shift in the balance of power in Washington.

And here’s the question nobody seems to be talking about enough.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS ON NOVEMBER 4?

Because winning an election is one thing.

Dealing with the aftermath?

That’s an entirely different ballgame.

Look around the world.

From Brazil to Eastern Europe, we’ve seen young people organizing, protesting, and demanding greater accountability.

And here in America, I’ve been watching something similar.

Students are marching.

Young people are getting involved.

People are questioning institutions they’ve been told to trust their entire lives.

And the common thread?

Frustration.

Frustration with the cost of living.

Frustration with political corruption.

Frustration with a government that too often seems more interested in protecting itself than serving the people.

And now we’re approaching November 3.

So let’s imagine something.

Let’s imagine Democrats win control of the House of Representatives.

Maybe they win the Senate, too.

What happens?

Well, first of all, Donald Trump is still president.

Let’s get that straight.

An election doesn’t automatically remove a president.

But when the new Congress takes office in January, the balance of power changes.

Suddenly, congressional committees have new leadership.

Investigations can begin.

Subpoenas can be issued.

Administration officials can be called to testify.

Financial dealings can be examined.

Government contracts can be scrutinized.

And allegations of misconduct can be investigated.

And I have a feeling Washington could become a very uncomfortable place for a whole lot of people.

Now, does that mean Trump gets impeached?

Not necessarily.

Could impeachment proceedings happen?

Absolutely.

But impeachment isn’t removal.

The House can impeach with a simple majority.

Conviction requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

And that’s a very high bar.

So anybody promising that a blue wave automatically means Trump is leaving office doesn’t understand how our Constitution works.

But here’s what I find fascinating.

What happens when a president who’s accustomed to exercising enormous power suddenly faces a Congress determined to challenge him?

What happens when subpoenas arrive?

What happens when officials refuse to testify?

What happens when Congress demands documents and the White House says no?

Well, we could see court battles.

Constitutional disputes.

Government funding fights.

And an awful lot of lawyers getting very, very rich.

Which, apparently, is the one American industry that never experiences a recession!

But seriously.

This could be a difficult period for the country.

And there’s another issue.

January 6.

Remember January 6?

Remember the people who attacked the Capitol?

Remember the investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and presidential pardons?

Those pardons generally cannot simply be reversed.

That’s how presidential pardons work.

But Congress can still examine what happened, investigate government conduct, and consider whether changes to the law are necessary.

And that’s an important distinction.

Accountability isn’t supposed to mean revenge.

It means establishing facts.

Following evidence.

Applying the law.

And making sure nobody is above it.

Republican.

Democrat.

President.

Cabinet secretary.

Anybody.

Because if accountability only applies to the other political party, it isn’t accountability.

It’s politics.

Now, let’s talk about something else.

What happens if Trump challenges the election results?

We’ve seen disputes over elections before.

And we’ve seen how damaging unsupported allegations of widespread fraud can be to public confidence.

But here’s the important thing.

The president doesn’t get to personally decide who won congressional elections.

There are election officials, state certification procedures, courts, and constitutional processes.

And the military doesn’t get to choose the winners, either.

Its responsibility is to the Constitution and lawful civilian authority.

Not to a political party.

That’s how our system is supposed to work.

And maintaining those boundaries is especially important when political tensions are running high.

But here’s where I want to take this conversation in a different direction.

Because while Washington is fighting over subpoenas, investigations, and impeachment, there’s something happening outside the Capitol.

AMERICANS STILL HAVE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES!

The rent is still due.

The mortgage is still due.

The grocery bill is still climbing.

People still need healthcare.

Parents still want good schools.

Families still want safe neighborhoods.

And nobody gets a discount on their electric bill because Congress held another hearing!

That’s what worries me about the aftermath of this election.

Not simply the possibility of political confrontation.

It’s the possibility that Washington becomes so consumed with fighting over the past that it forgets to address the future.

And that’s where my own experience here in Greensboro has completely changed my perspective.

I’m running for mayor.

And I’ve been interviewing residents because I want to understand what people actually need.

I’ve talked to young people.

Older people.

Business owners.

Workers.

Complete strangers.

And I’ve discovered something remarkable.

Most people aren’t obsessed with political ideology.

They’re concerned about their lives.

They want housing they can afford.

They want safe streets.

They want education.

They want healthcare.

And they want to provide for their families.

Five basic things.

Now tell me something.

WHY THE HELL IS THAT SO COMPLICATED?

We’ve got the most sophisticated technology in human history.

We’ve got artificial intelligence.

We’ve got rockets landing themselves.

We’ve got cars driving themselves.

And somehow we can’t figure out how to make government respond to the people paying for it?

Are you kidding me?

And that’s why I believe the most important part of this election may not be what happens on November 3.

It may be what happens afterward.

Because an election can change who’s in power.

But it doesn’t automatically change how power is used.

That requires something else.

Citizens who stay engaged.

People who ask questions.

People who demand answers.

People who pay attention after the campaign signs come down.

And elected officials who understand that public office is a responsibility, not a personal possession.

Now, I don’t know whether we’re going to see a blue wave.

I don’t know whether Trump will face another impeachment.

I don’t know whether Congress and the White House will spend the next two years fighting in court.

Nobody knows exactly what’s coming.

But I do know this.

Whatever happens, Americans will still need their government to function.

And if the election produces a major change in Washington, the people taking power will face an enormous responsibility.

Not simply to investigate.

Not simply to criticize.

Not simply to score political points.

BUT TO GOVERN.

To demonstrate that accountability and effective government can exist together.

To show that disagreements don’t have to destroy institutions.

And to prove that democracy can respond to the people it represents.

Because here’s something I’ve learned at 69 years old.

It’s easy to tear something down.

It’s a hell of a lot harder to build something better.

And that’s the challenge facing America.

Not just November 3.

Not just November 4.

But January, February, March, and every day afterward.

Because the real test of democracy isn’t whether your side wins.

It’s whether the system still works when your side loses.

I’m John Eagleton.

And here’s my question for America.

WHAT HAPPENS THE MORNING AFTER?

Do we go back to being spectators?

Do we go back to complaining?

Do we wait another two years for somebody to promise us change?

Or do we finally recognize that democracy requires our participation every single day?

Because the election isn’t the end of the story.

IT’S THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT CHAPTER.

And this time, the American people need to make sure they’re the ones writing it.

Thank you.