The presidential race has shifted dramatically in recent weeks. The only sure bet moving forward is that there are no sure bets.
But here’s what I do know. No matter who wins come November, the underlying conditions in our country will not have fundamentally shifted — pervasive mistrust, deep divisions, and growing inequities and disparities will still exist. In fact, when the polls close on election night, things are likely to get worse before they get better.
For over 35 years, I’ve supported individuals, organizations and communities in their quests to create lasting change. My approach has spread to all 50 states and 40 countries worldwide. I’ve worked everywhere from Flint, Michigan, after the community lost tens of thousands of auto jobs, to Newtown, Connecticut, following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Each election season, I return to a key lesson I learned from these experiences. Politics will not — indeed, cannot — solve what ails much of our society today.
Let me be clear. Each of us needs to vote our conscience this November. Yet if we really want to move the country forward, we will need a much deeper response than just electing a new president.