By J. H. Irwin
Author | Storyteller | Capturing Life, Memory, and Meaning
At first, I couldn’t bring myself to watch. There had been too many nights when hope turned into disbelief, too many assurances that the country would make the right choice, followed by mornings when I wondered how we would get through what came next. You know the old adage, “Fool me once.” My husband wanted to watch, though, so I watched along, hesitantly.
In the beginning, it was difficult. I was waiting for the turn, the moment when the numbers would shift and that familiar sinking feeling would return. But soon into the counting, you could see a trend. With each flash of blue, years of a heavy weight seemed to move. It wasn’t quite lifting, but for the first time in a long time, it was moving.
Could it be true this time? Could we actually begin to take control of the train wreck before us? We stayed up until 2:30 in the morning, long enough to see Abdul El-Sayed’s race in Michigan called in his favor. By then, I was allowing myself to feel something I had been guarding against all evening. I was hopeful, and I no longer felt foolish for being so.
Today, I ordered a new American flag. For the first time in two years, I will proudly hang it when it arrives. That might seem like a small thing, but it doesn’t feel small to me. It feels like recovering a connection to my country that I had struggled to find beneath the anger, the cruelty, and the constant noise.
I never stopped caring about this country. That was the problem, really. I cared so much that watching what it was becoming hurt, and displaying the flag no longer felt like an uncomplicated expression of that love. Today, something about that has changed. I want to see it outside my home again, representing the country I still believe we can be.
But caution is warranted, even in the middle of this relief. The 2026 midterm elections have given Democrats control of both chambers of Congress when the new Congress convenes in January. That is an extraordinary opportunity, and they cannot afford to mistake it for unconditional approval. They have been given responsibility, and the people who placed it in their hands deserve more than a celebration.
To me, their obligation can be expressed in a single sentence: make the lives of the American people better. Make that the purpose behind every negotiation, every priority, and every decision about where to spend their time. Work to make healthcare more accessible, daily life more affordable, and the future less frightening. Protect people’s rights and give them reasons to believe their government sees them as human beings rather than voting blocs.
And begin now. Reassess the approach, build the plan, and be ready to act when January arrives. I understand that a congressional majority does not hand Democrats the entire government; the president retains veto power, and overriding a veto requires two-thirds support in both chambers. I am not expecting miracles overnight. I am expecting preparation, urgency, and an honest effort to use every lawful tool available.
They should also resist the temptation to read this election as proof that they have nothing to change. The Associated Press’s voter polling contains a warning even in victory: many voters still dislike the Democratic Party. Winning the opportunity to govern is not the same as earning lasting trust. That will depend on what they do next, especially for people who are tired of being asked for their votes and then left wondering what those votes accomplished.
Of course, there must be oversight. Congress has the authority to investigate government conduct, and that responsibility belongs alongside its legislative work. Credible allegations of illegal acts must be investigated, evidence must be established, and wrongdoing must face appropriate consequences through lawful processes. Moving forward cannot become an excuse for looking away. Accountability matters to the people harmed, and it matters to whether those abuses happen again.
But Democrats would be ill-advised to build their entire agenda around going for Trump’s jugular. I understand the anger, and I share much of it. Still, would another two years in which every conversation begins and ends with him give people the relief they are asking for? Would it be enough for someone struggling to afford medication or wondering whether they can remain in their home? A big fat no.
Hold him accountable, but do not make him the purpose of government. Investigate what needs investigating while doing the work people need done. Those responsibilities should reinforce each other, not compete for attention until the daily concerns of ordinary Americans disappear beneath another round of political spectacle. I want Democrats to demonstrate that they can confront wrongdoing without allowing the person responsible for it to dictate their entire agenda.
I also want us to stop measuring every good day by whether it was a bad day for Donald Trump. I want a good day to mean that someone received care, a family found some financial breathing room, or a person felt safer living openly as themselves. Let him answer for his conduct where the evidence and the law require it. Beyond that, I would welcome the day when he occupies considerably less space in our lives.
That is the freedom I find myself thinking about today. I want neighbors to enjoy one another’s company without every conversation feeling like a test of allegiance. I want mornings when I wake up without immediately wondering what happened overnight, what was posted, who was threatened, or what fresh turmoil we will have to absorb. I want politics to become something we participate in without feeling that it has taken possession of our emotional lives.
I know we cannot simply return to some untouched version of the past. There were people struggling then, too, and problems we should have taken more seriously. But surely we can recover some ordinary ease while building something better. Surely decency, competence, and concern for one another are not unreasonable things to ask of a country or its leaders.
I am not declaring the MAGA era over, nor do I believe one election can erase what has taken root. What I hope is that we have begun to loosen its hold, that its anger will become less defining, and that some of the people drawn into it will find their way toward something less consuming. I would rather see people become more thoughtful and compassionate than spend the rest of my life waiting for them to admit that I was right.
Only time will tell what this moment becomes. Today, though, I am happy in a way I have not allowed myself to be for quite some time. The weight has not disappeared, but it has moved enough for me to imagine life beyond it.
When that flag arrives, I will hang it proudly. It will not mean that everything is fixed or that my concerns have vanished. It will mean that, after a long and painful stretch of doubt, I feel hopeful about my country again. For now, that is a feeling worth making room for.
Words can still move the world. Read mine → https://substack.com/@jhirwin