Thanksgiving is a time to stop and reflect on where we are and what we can be thankful for. As Hanover Democrats we should be thankful for what we achieved this year. Many of the goals we set for ourselves in our strategic plan, we have fulfilled. Topping the list of what I’m grateful for are the many Hanover Democrats who turned out to work at the polls on November 2, in spite of the overwhelming odds we face in Hanover. You are truly brave and hardy souls.

We can be especially thankful that Democrats retain control of the U.S. Senate. The election that wiped out our majority in the House and reduced our majority in the Senate is very confusing, since voters seemed to be fired up to reverse their vote of two years ago and vote against their own best interests. But the misinformation campaign headed up by Karl Rove and fueled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, large Corporations and other special interest groups was very powerful and successful. We need to be thankful that enough voters remained immune to the propaganda machine run by big moneyed special interest groups.

On the positive side, all the money in the world could not buy Meg Whitman the Governorship of California, or Sharron Angle the Majority Leader, Harry Reid’s, Senate seat in Nevada or Carly Fiorina Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat. And $75 million could not “fire” Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, who was elected to be the minority leader when the new Congress begins in January. We will all applaud her as she leads the party back into the Majority once again.

Since it’s Holiday season, it’s time to make up our wish list for Santa:

• At the top of my list is for Hanover Democrats to win two seats on the Board of Supervisors.
• My second wish is for every member to convince a friend or neighbor to join the Hanover Democratic Committee and become involved in local politics.
• Next on my list is to achieve greater exposure in Hanover. For this I wish for a custom designed tent to use at county festivals and events, together with a large contingent of volunteers to hand out information about our guiding principles at these events.
• In Congress I wish for the lame duck session that is not lame, a session that will pass tax cuts for the middle class and not make any deals with the Republicans on tax cuts for the wealthy.
• Then I also wish for the complete repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
• It would naïve of me to want much more, but I do hope that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi show their spinefilness (to quote Rachel Maddow) and manage to push through many of the bills that we all hold near and dear to our hearts.

Hanover Democrats, let’s keep working hard to see if we can turn out more Democratic votes in our local elections in Hanover. Our big prize would be a seat on the Board of Supervisors. Then that will be something that we can use to fire us up to even greater achievements in the Presidential election of 2012.

Happy holidays to you and your families and let’s hope for a prosperous and more Democratic year in 2011.

Gordon Silver