liberalism is dead
weekly dispatch #2 ✶ the downfall of the democratic party, making a record, and embracing humility
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november 10th, 2024 — piñon hills, california
I’m writing to you from the scrubby, sunlit hills of California’s eastern desert. The mood here is different. People are happy. People are relieved. People have hope. What a strange, palpable difference in feeling just an hour and a half over from LA’s sunken-in sadness, where the disappointment weighs on us like dust from nuclear fallout.
For a moment, as numbers began rolling in, I held on to a teeny thread of hope. She can still win! My hope was quickly quashed after my partner checked the numbers a few hours in and said, “it’s not looking so good.”
I felt one solid pang of disappointment, which sat in the lower part of my heart for a little while before we went out to get icecream from Jeni’s. I ate the Texas Sheet Cake and got a stomach ache.
I’ve been here before. Watching a female democratic nominee, one a large majority within her own party didn’t quite like but had to rally for all the same, go neck and neck with Donald Trump.
Except, back then, I was sure she’d win. All of us were. That’s what the polls told us. The news told us. What our friends told us, and what we told them, assuredly.
When she lost to a man who had weeks prior been exposed for saying “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything,” it felt like the world had collapsed in on itself and rivers were flowing backwards and the sun had switched places with the moon. It felt so symbolic.
This time, I was careful not to hope too hard. Like someone too burned by love to believe in it, here I was—a democratic socialist already scarred and now facing yet another candidate fast-tracked to the nomination without a real or fair primary.
Watching a woman of color lose to Trump felt especially parodic. This is who we are. It’s who we’ve always been. And at the same time, it’s too easy, too lazy, to chalk it all up to racism and sexism.
They’re components, for sure, but the deeper rot seems to come from within the Democratic Party itself: propping up a senile candidate held together by stimulants, gaslighting the public into believing he was sharper than ever, and then slipping in a new candidate without a true primary—crowning, essentially, the least popular Democratic candidate in history.
No clear policies, no real promises—just the slow death of liberalism wrapped in red, white, and brat green.
Seeing joy around these parts is an interesting experience. I don’t hate them for feeling it. For them, it feels like their guy has been delivered to them by divine providence. They feel listened to, like they’re finally being heard. That Donald Trump is on track to fix everything, with their individual problems at the top of his priority list.
I come from Oklahoma, land of red dirt and far-right Republicans. For most of my entire life, this was the norm by which I was surrounded. I have family members who voted for Trump in each of the past three elections. We’ve had tearful, volcanic arguments about it at Christmas, and I’ve sent and unsent more than a few heated Instagram DMs to my siblings. The funny thing is, we agree on most things.
Government, as it stands, isn’t working for the average person. Billionaires bankroll elections, we’re overtaxed, public funds are mismanaged, schools are underfunded, wages are too low, families lack support, and healthcare is a mess. On the big issues, we’re often in agreement.
It’s the details where we diverge. Some folks believe our tax dollars are wasted on welfare programs; I’d argue that the real vortex is our defense spending. This year alone, 43% of federal discretionary spending was allocated to current and past military expenses, using up funds that could have otherwise supported social programs, education, or healthcare.1
Some believe we aren’t doing enough to support Israel; I’d argue we’re doing far too much, funneling over $3 billion in annual U.S. aid to a client state engaged in violent, genocidal conflicts that don’t benefit the American taxpayers funding them. Since World War II, the U.S. has provided more foreign aid to Israel than any other nation.2 For what benefit to the average American? Hard to say.
Then there’s abortion, a subject that divides us like no other. Some see it as murder, the loss of a precious soul. I get it—I gave a whole presentation on the horrors of abortion back in Catholic school. Very appropriate assignment to give a seventh grader, don’t you think?
But today, I stand firmly by the belief that no one—precious soul or not—has the right to use my body as a host if I don’t choose it. Some pro-lifers might see that point in cases of rape or incest, but many don’t believe in exceptions at all. We agree to disagree, and with every passing day, their Christian-rooted views gain jurisdiction over my non-Christian body. Church and state, reunited at long last—just what the founding fathers would’ve wanted, right?
Despite our vast differences—and seemingly against all odds—we still have beliefs that overlap and intersect. These days, I can’t stop coming back to the same question: what would it take for us to rally together on the issues that matter to us all?
Maybe a ban on politicians taking money from Super PACs? A repeal of Citizens United? Publicly funded campaigns, so we can finally see candidates who put populist ideals over corporations? Ranked-choice voting? Maybe some term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court justices, as a treat?
All I know for sure is that the Democratic Party’s current approach isn’t working. Liberalism is dying a slow death right before our eyes, with absolutely no acknowledgment—and certainly no accountability—because, of course, the fault couldn’t lie within the party’s own choices.
It couldn’t possibly be the party’s clinging to legacy politics, pushing candidates who “waited their turn,” giving us different versions of the same carefully groomed, focus-grouped nominee. It couldn’t be the sidelining of Bernie Sanders, whose grassroots support was unmatched by any primary candidate in recent history, alienating leftists and disillusioning a new generation of voters.
No, it just must be the “deplorables.”
Each time legacy and “electability” are chosen over progressive momentum, it’s another nail in liberalism’s coffin, hammered in by the Democrats’ own hand. By trading a commitment to real change for lukewarm promises, the party has managed to alienate the very base that could keep the movement alive. It’s what they do best.
This constant oppositional tension seems to be surfacing in my life in so many places beyond politics. Mars opposing pluto, perhaps? Just this past week, my sister and I found ourselves locked in a handful of arguments, each of us absolutely certain that the other was in the wrong. When two people are equally convinced they’re right, how do you find understanding?
I’m learning it takes a whole lot of radical compassion and discomfort to see the human in front of you. To see that their ironclad belief in their rightness mirrors your own, no matter how far you feel from agreement on the particular subject you’re at odds over.
I think humility has to be one of the hardest, yet most necessary, virtues to hold close. My band and I recently started recording our album, and it’s a crash course in learning to fail, to keep trying, and to not get so down on myself for having my moments of imperfection (of which there are many.)
In a time when there’s so much to argue over, to hate each other for, and to despair about, creating something beautiful feels like more than just a good thing—it feels like a responsibility.
Not that art alone can change the world, but it reminds us we’re human. It connects us through an unspoken language we’ve all shared since the beginning of time, no matter which dynasty, kingdom, or empire has divided us.
I don’t have answers for fixing democracy, the Democratic Party, or corporate-funded politics. I’m not even sure I know what’s worth hoping for. I guess if I hope for anything, it’s that we don’t let the overwhelming feeling of hatred embitter our spirits or keep us from finding a way to reach those who may seem unreachable.
We have to keep searching for ways to understand, to meet each other’s humanity even when it feels impossible. If we lose that, if we stop trying to bridge the gaps, we risk deepening the very divisions that got us here in the first place.
Wishing you moments of hope and peace and clarity. Thanks for reading.
<3
— Jo
this week’s roundup of things to come, fun facts, personal recommendations, and more.
👋 upcoming shows
✶ SANTA BARBARA — I’m playing an intimate house show in Santa Barbara, CA next Tuesday the 19th! Frail Talk & Cecilia James will be joining. If you know anyone in the area, please send the info their way! Here’s an Instagram post about it.
✶ LOS ANGELES — We play our big LA debut show November 20th at Healing Force Records! I’ll be joined by my best friends, Frail Talk, and the endlessly inspiring Alexander Biggs. If you’re in the area, please join us and bring a friend! You can grab your tickets here.
☝ fact of the week
Did you know that during an earthquake, you might be more likely to die from a heart attack than from falling debris?
A study by the American Heart Association found that heart attacks surge during significant seismic events. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles, hospitals saw up to a 35% increase in heart-related emergency visits. Good reason to practice breathing through anxiety, huh?
🍴 make this for dinner
Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese from Cookie + Kate
Need something to bring to Friendsgiving? I’ve made this at least six times, and it’s a tried-and-true hit. Last year, I went to a fall potluck where the menu was all tan foods, including cornbread, rolls, potatoes, and pies. Delicious as hell, but not a green plant in sight. Now, I’ve made it my personal mission to bring a salad to every gathering. Fiber! For! All!
🗯 conversation starter
Who is your number one enemy?
I asked this to two friends recently and learned a lot. Turns out, there’s something uniquely sinister about parents and roommates.
🎧 song of the week
This song by Haley Heynderickx feels deeply necessary right now, and every listen is cathartic. As a Gemini rising who must remind herself to pull the fuck over and notice purple clover on the side of the highway, this track has felt like a sweet little kiss for my brain, heart, and being.
📚 recommended reading
✶ I told you so by Sam Kriss — a really apt and sardonic take on the election’s outcome and its predictability to those paying attention.
Wasn’t it fun, now that Old Man Biden was gone and you could play with your brand-new Kamala doll as much as you like? But for some unaccountable reason, among the general public, ‘Kamala: You Already Like Her!’ was not the brilliant pitch it seemed to be.
✶ How Bands Grow Fanbases Without Touring: The Unstoppable Booking Strategy by Cassidy Frost — if you're a musician in my life, chances are I’ve already sent you this. And if I haven’t, consider this my official recommendation! Cassidy’s Substack is a goldmine of practical tips on sustainable touring and marketing strategies, and every piece leaves me with real, actionable insights for navigating the music world. Check it out! Seriously!
Developing a strong regional draw is THE hurdle 99% of artists never make it over. After you develop a regional draw, suddenly your competition drops way off and you become an undeniable candidate for a myriad of excellent opportunities.
✶ hello from a place i outgrew by yours truly — last week’s inaugural weekly dispatch, reflecting on change both in location and in oneself, grieving a life unlived, etc etc etc
Let it be known: I loved this place. Fort Collins was the right choice for me at that moment. This town gave me friends I’ll love for a lifetime, musical projects that fed and pushed me, and adventures that were thrilling and safe in equal measure. And yet, there’s still an unfamiliar unsettledness inside me, asking: Why did it take this long for me to feel like myself? Why couldn’t I find her here?
🖼️ proof of life
me n adam playing bits of my song “better at this” — which we’re recording this week!
me on my last day in fort collins before flying back to LA <3 farewell autumn <3 back to being sunburnt <3
a super late start and one recorded song later, we’re getting down to business. only ten more songs to go. yeehaw!
National Priorities Project. “Military Spending in the United States.” https://www.nationalpriorities.org/campaigns/military-spending-united-states/.
Congressional Research Service. “U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel.” Updated August 2023. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33222.