The 2017 Election Brought A Whole Lot Of Hope For The Future On Twitter
Nov. 7, 2017 was one historic election day for Democrats, a hopeful departure and stride for the party, coming from last year's defeat in the notorious Election Day that saw Donald Trump winning the presidency. Just as last year marked the first reality TV star to turn president with no political background, yesterday marked many "firsts" for Democrats in our country. Progressive victories in the 2017 election has people tweeting about Democratic hope, for the first time in awhile.
In Virginia, at least 13 seats were flipped to Democrats, with the first two Latin American and first Asian-American women elected in the House of Delegates. Also in Virginia, Danica Roem, was elected as the first out transgender legislator. Joyce Craig was elected the first female mayor of Manchester, New Hampshire and Vi Lyles was elected first African-American mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Sheila Oliver was elected the first female African-American lieutenant governor of New Jersey, and Jenny Durkan is the first out lesbian mayor of Seattle. While we are still living in Trump's America, Democrats are optimistic for how these historic wins last night will continue the progress of more blue-dominated states.
This is how Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama, are responding on Twitter:
Lena Dunham, like many other Democrats, felt a sense of restored hope that they felt last year for the 2016 Democratic nominee for president, Hillary Clinton. Dunham tweeted, "1 year ago today I was full of hope & pride. Now I get to feel it again & it's not an accident- it's YOUR determination to make change."
Many Democrats not only feel hope, but fervor for future success and victories for Democrats in the 2018 election.
Users also have taken these Democratic wins as an chance to invite humor back into their lives with memes comparing themselves on Nov. 7, 2016 and Nov. 7, 2017. Most of these viral memes show Democrats with a harder exterior, or "fight mode" mentality one year later.
Some have lost hair over the stress of losing the 2016 election...
Democrats are poking fun at the general confidence people felt for Clinton's expected win last year, compared to the uncertainty and disoriented state that many felt heading to the voting polls yesterday.
Other Democrats expressed their hope with a bit of hesitation, feeling that it may be too early to tell if this win will really affect the wider political agenda in the United States. Some feel that the real win will happen in 2018, if Democrats can take over the House and Senate.
It's understandable for some Democrats to be uncertain about how these wins will actually affect change in the Trump administration, but many Democrats are just taking this win for what it is: progress. After the unexpected results of last year's election, Democrats have used this year to get back in the game, and "invest in every zip code," as Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) said on Nov. 8 during a press call.
The 2018 election is likely to have a major impact for either the Democratic or Republican agenda, considering 36 states will vote for their respective leaders and representatives. Democrats still have much work to do before then, but for now, there is a sliver of hope for the party that is pushing them forward in their endeavors.
As Perez said, "It’s a good morning to be a Democrat. What we achieved last night was impressive, but it was not a coincidence. We won last night because Democrats came together, and these victories represent movement for the Democratic parties across the country."
