We can feel it in our bones. Our democracy is in crisis. 

The well-orchestrated rise of Christian Nationalism and ultra-conservative forces is right in front of our eyes. Ponder, for example – the Citizens United decision; the initial election of Donald Trump; Mitch McConnell’s cleverly executed rightwing takeover of the Supreme Court; the insurrection on January 6, 2021; the 900+ pages of Project 2025 from the Heritage Foundation; the overturning of Roe v. Wade; the recent Supreme Court decisions that give nearly unlimited power to the President and simultaneously takes power from regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

It is no wonder so many who believe in an inclusive, representative, pluralistic democracy are scared and depressed. The actions certain individuals and groups have taken over the past many years have been designed to enable their ascent to power, to divide us, and to make us scared and depressed.

But our democracy is not dead yet. 

Elected officials and Members of Congress who care about democracy need to come together, agree that our democracy is in crisis, and build a strong campaign to address this crisis that will take us through election day and beyond. Ideally they should act across party lines, united by a fear of the trend toward autocracy.

It should include a large and effective multimedia communications effort that explains what has happened in recent years, emphasizes the attack on our basic rights and freedoms, and explains what they will do to move us forward. The effort needs to use emotional language to get people’s attention and give us hope. It needs to be forward-looking and positive. 

This crisis cries out for inspirational leaders who can envision a democracy that works for all of us, not just the rich and powerful.

Now that he has stepped aside, Joe Biden should focus the rest of his term on protecting our democracy – adding four more Supreme Court justices, passing critical artificial intelligence legislation, countering disinformation, locking in agreements with NATO and our allies. 

We who care about democracy and the future of this country need to get much more actively involved in what is happening. Radical ultra-conservatives want to turn the United States into an authoritarian state, similar to what Orbán has done in Hungary and Putin has done in Russia. 

The threat of authoritarianism is real, and it is up to us to prevent it. We need to talk about this attack on our basic rights and freedoms with our friends, neighbors, and relatives. We need to engage our elected representatives and tell them to treat this as the crisis it is and ask them to mobilize to take action. We can not wait any longer. 

We need to come together and move forward with strength, confidence, and a will to win. Our country, our children, and our grandchildren are depending on us.