Altered state: Amid the gloom, rays of hope

But only a unified front will release us from bondage:

As we’ve seen, there’s good reason for hope. But progressives would also do well to recall that much of the Right’s undeniable success in working its will on state policy is the residue of design. For decades now, conservative funders, politicians, think tanks, religious activists and corporate lobby groups have worked diligently and spent mountains of cash in a coordinated fashion to roll back the clock and to resist the social and economic changes that progressives champion and conservatives fear. They will not go quietly or painlessly back into the minority. It will take the sustained commitment of tens of thousands of activists, organizers, lobbyists, litigators, writers, bloggers, researchers, thinkers, business people, funders, politicians and voters to turn things around.

And that last part is doubly relevant as the clock winds down on candidate filing for the 2016 General Assembly election. GOP leadership has made numerous missteps in the last few sessions, that have left many (even in their base) wondering what the heck is going on. But if we don't provide an alternative for them to vote for, we'll never know if that confusion has morphed into dissatisfaction in the minds of voters.

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