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Tom Krattenmaker 12:06 a.m. ET Feb. 12, 2017

And a sequin-bedecked pop star will show them the way.

Not exactly holy writ. Yet in addition to a wildly entertaining performance at the Super Bowl, Lady Gaga has handed progressives the unifying principle theyve struggled to identify and articulate. As Gaga demonstrated in her uniquely fabulous way, its time for progressives to reclaim patriotism.

Speculation was rampant that Gaga might use her halftime spotlight to make a pointed political statement la Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes. What a surprise and head-scratcher, initially to find her starting the show with God Bless America.

Liberals would have rolled their eyes out of their sockets had it been a country star singing it. But Gaga being Gaga, they probably trusted she was up to something. When she segued into This Land is Your Land and then her catchy hits, including the anthem of acceptance Born This Way, it was obvious what she was doing: connecting progressives zeal for inclusion to the nations founding ideals.

Its a line that has been begging to be drawn for some time now, and an appeal to patriotism that has also been there for the taking. If accepted, Gagas gift can solidify resistance to the Trump administration and help shape a positive progressive identity for the long term ahead.

For me, the need for a progressive rallying cry and unifying message was never more apparent than during a recent edition of MSNBCs Hardball. Host Chris Matthews was interviewing a woman who helped organize the massive womens march that took place the day after the inauguration. Matthews ticked off some of the marchers issues reproductive rights, black lives, opposition to military aggression and asked Janaye Ingram what unites them and the people behind them.

You saw people of all different stripes, 5 million people globally, who came together on January 21st, marching for a variety of issues, Ingram responded. And yes, theyre interconnected. Why? Because we as women, we are inherently intersectional. We are born intersectional. Were not single-issue people.

Important concepts, but not whats needed to bring people to their feet. Much more could have been said. Like:

We are united by our caring for the dignity and fair treatment of people regardless of their sex, origins, or whatever else might mark them as different. And, We are united by our belief in the American ideal, by the story of a nation founded on the noble principle that all people are created equal and deserving of equal respect.

Its my observation that progressives have ceded patriotism to conservatives, much like the word moral, because conservative use and misuse of these concepts have made them radioactive to progressive sensibilities. Thats a shame, and a lost opportunity to win over wider swaths of the public. Although the m-word is seldom uttered, progressive values are shot through with moral commitments. And they are deeply resonant with important aspects of what it means to be an American.

Take gay rights. Progressives rally to this cause not because of a lack of morals, but because of the deep moral conviction that its wrong to mistreat people on the basis of sexual orientation. Analogous moral commitments undergird support for the rights of women, racial minorities and followers of non-majority religions.

At the several rallies Ive attended recently, Ive been struck by the number of non-Latino and non-Muslim people standing with those most directly under the gun of the new administration. Ive been impressed, too, by the explicit appeals to what our country is about to patriotism captured by the frequent assertion that the dark vision of Trump and adviser Steven Bannon is not the America I know.

The America we know and the American values we advance are the invisible glue that bind the disparate parts of the progressive movement. This is the progressive patriotism waiting for us to name, and claim.

As is the case with any movement, the progressive cause needs to be known for more than what its against. Resisting Trump is plenty for now, but the post-Trump day will come soon, we hope when the movement will need to articulate a positive vision and identity. What, in the long run, will progressives be known for, and what will attract more people to the cause?

Shutting down campus talks by people such as Breitbarts Milo Yiannopoulos? Better to let him speak and disgrace himself, I say. Violence in the streets and punches in the face for hateful provocateurs such as Richard Spencer? Better to go high road, which means fierce commitment but peaceful tactics and a benevolent spirit. This is not only right but also tactically smart. Nothing would delight the president more than a pretext for a clampdown on dissent, with a level of violence infinitely more potent than anything that black bloc protesters can muster.

Progressives, its OK to wave the flag. It belongs to us as much as the conservatives who have made it their brand. Well know it means something quite different, and more valid, at a pro-immigrants march than it means as a stage prop behind Trumps podium.

A member of USA TODAYs Board of Contributors, Tom Krattenmaker is a writer specializing in religion in public life and communications director at Yale Divinity School. His new book is titled Confessions of a Secular Jesus Follower.

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OPINION: Lady Gaga showed progressives the way - Daily Record

In a dramatic outcome that could well change national politics, a Federal court last November found Wisconsins highly gerrymandered electoral districts to be unconstitutional, since they were clearly designed to deprive Democrats of the vote. As WaPo points out, if other states with extreme gerrymandering are also taken on by the courts, or if the Supreme Court weighs in for the whole country, then the artificial hold of Republicans on power in the House of Representatives and many state legislatures could come to an end.

In the 2016 election for the House, Republicans received 52% of the popular vote but seized control of 57% of the seats.

In states where the legislature draws the electoral districts, there is always a temptation to design them in such a way as to disadvantage the rival party. That is why non-partisan redistricting commissions ought to be the ones drawing these lines (as is now the case in California, e.g.).

But what had been an occasional problem became systemic starting in 2010, when Karl Rove, the Koch brothers and other Republican operatives began a drive to have Republican-dominated state legislatures gerrymander the districts in a way to ensure that they could not easily be unseated and that the Republicans would have an advantage on the Federal level in Congress. Typically these redistricting schemes disenfranchise people who live in cities. Thus, Austin, Texas, which reliably votes Democratic, was split into 8 districts, each of them attached to a big urban hinterland where the city folk could be over-ruled by Republican voters.

The Wisconsin decision was influenced in part by a new, statistical, way that academic political scientists came up with to measure unfairness in redistricting, which they call the efficiency gap. An efficiency gap of 7% or more means that the other party can never hope to get back into power. The efficiency gap for Wisconsins gerrymandered districts is 15, in favor of Republicans.

Unfair redistricting on racial grounds has long been disallowed by the courts (which is not to say the Republicans dont try to get away with it from time to time). But unfair redistricting on partisan lines has not typically been something the courts wanted to interfere in. Only because of the new efficiency gap measure were they persuaded to rule against extreme partisan gerrymandering.

In fact, the state of Wisconsin argued that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue over the discrepancy, since they werent proven to have been significantly harmed.

Because of the extent of gerrymandering already institutionalized, it is very unlikely that Democrats can improve their position dramatically in 2018, and, indeed, very likely the Republicans will make gains.

This rigidity is dangerous to our Republic. The House is supposed to be able to respond quickly to national threats. Because of extreme gerrymandering, the nimbleness of the system is gone.

Teabaggers back in 2010 and 2012 were always nattering on about getting their country back (by which they appear to have meant that they had a Black president.) Progressives need actually to get our country back, and gerrymander reform is one necessary step along that path.

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Can Peak Gerrymandering by the GOP be Challenged by ... - Truthdig - Truthdig

Mike McHugh

Ever since President Donald J. Trump soundly defeated Hillary Clinton on Nov. 8, Ill bet many low-information voters and other empty-minded citizens have learned more about civics than they did in all their years inside public school classrooms. In the ensuing hours after the election, Trump critics were quick to lay the foundation to delegitimize his victory by pointing out that Clinton won the popular vote despite the fact that Trump far exceeded the required 270 Electoral College votes needed to win. Analogies were quickly proffered to debunk the ignorance and quell the sour grapes by illustrating this point at a level that most could understand. It was pointed out that in a football game when the number of total offensive yards gained by the losing team exceeds that of the winning team it has no bearing on the final score or who is the winner or loser of the contest. In presidential politics its all about Electoral College votes.

But that didnt stop the detractors.

The Trump detractors were given another civics lesson in December when it was learned that an effort was underway to derail the Electoral College vote. They soon learned what most of us already knew that the November election was merely a crucial but the final step in certifying who occupies the Oval Office. It is in December when the Electoral College delegates convene in their respective state capitols to cast their votes. In past conventions, the will of the people on Election Day is usually mirrored by the Electoral College delegates actions when it comes time to perform their duty. Trump prevailed and Clinton lost in this procedure.

But it didnt stop the detractors.

In many states where Trump triumphed, Electoral College delegates were lobbied, cajoled and in some cases threatened if they followed through and cast their vote for Trump. There were very few delegates who strayed from their duty and Donald Trump was certified the victor.

But the detractors remained unsatisfied.

Attempts were made by radical, anarchist organizers to disrupt the Jan. 20 Inauguration in Washington, D.C. Local colleges welcomed radical organizers to hold closed door meetings on their leafy Northwest campus the weekend before the week-long festivities began in the nations capital. On Friday morning, hours before Trump was sworn in, tiny mobs of rabble rousers assembled blocks away from the parade route. Some wearing masks searched for targets to attack while others stalked vulnerable objects to use as props and video footage to be used later on their social media sites to prove to their parents back home that their trip to D.C. was indeed productive. Few minds were changed and over 200 miscreants were arrested for their protests as innocent trash receptacles were set ablaze and defenseless shop windows were shattered by members of the masked mob.

Despite their Inaugural Day hissy fit, the resistors continue to foment vitriol toward the president and their countrymen, appearing daily to protest their cause du jour in the protective enclaves of those tiny blue islands on each coast that are holding back the enormous red ocean that covers the rest the lower 48 states.

President Trumps appears undeterred by the uncivil and sometimes criminal behaviors of these professional agitators drafted into action from the Idle-class, Hollywood liberal elite and Democrats on Capitol Hill who appear to have become delusional from their long-term bout of Potomac Fever. They seem to have been swept away on the river of denial, unable to come to grips with the fact that they lost to Donald Trump and their party is out of power and in the minority quite possibly for a very long time.

Still, so-called resistors remain unrelenting.

Heres what draining the swamp is beginning to reveal to those who havent already realized it: There is an elite class of media types, well-heeled entertainers along with a small band of idle-class Americans who act as mercenaries, filling the role of professional demonstrators who are marching and being paid by Trump detractors. These useful idiots and fellow travelers in the progressive movement are more than willing carry the progressive banners.

Democrats love a big, inefficient, slow-moving government. Their battle against Trumps cabinet pick Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education is less out of their concern for the children than it is out their commitment to the teachers unions. The irony in Democrats disapproving of this candidate who was confirmed last week is rich. The debate over public versus private schools isnt hard to understand. Every parent wants what is best for their children and sadly in many communities, both urban and rural, the public schools are in deplorable condition. School choice in the form of vouchers giving parents the choice and means of where to school their children should be an option open to all, not just the wealthy. Where was the outcry from teachers unions when the Obamas avoided public schools and shuttled their daughters off to Sidwell Friends a private D.C. school with annual tuitions that rival major universities even as he was shutting down opportunity scholarships for the poor in Washington, D.C. By the way, this is the same Washington school where Chelsea Clinton matriculated before enrolling at Stanford University.

Note, too, radicals have their sights set on blocking Trumps Executive Order on temporarily blocking refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries that have a high propensity for terrorism. The order calls for extreme vetting. I applaud Trump for understanding that his duties as president include a duty to protect all Americans from enemies. So what if a few refugees were temporarily inconvenienced on their one-way flight to the United States or may have to wait a couple months before they can arrive.

Since 2001, many Americans have been and continue to be inconvenienced every time they take a commercial flight from the time they enter an airport, remove several articles of their clothing, submit to searches of their person and belongings and are X-rayed and sometimes interrogated. All this because fanatical extremists decided to wage war on the civilized world. Yes, we know all about being inconvenienced.

In 1992, Presidential candidate Ross Perot asked us to listen for a giant sucking sound in the debate over NAFTA. Today, it seems that there is a giant sucking sound that could be explained in one of two ways: Perhaps its the sound of a swamp starting to drain or it could be the sound of the progressives little red balloons being deflated.

Swansboro resident Mike McHugh is an advertising account executive with The Daily News. Readers can email him at: mike.mchugh@jdnews.com.

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COLUMN: Democrat vanguard of the Progressives stuck in denial - Jacksonville Daily News

posted at 5:21 pm on February 10, 2017 by John Sexton

The New York Times reports people posting ads for roommates in Washington, D.C. are adding a new caveat: Trump supporters need not apply:

In one recent ad, a couple in the area who identified themselves as open-minded and liberal advertised a $500 room in their home: If youre racist, sexist, homophobic or a Trump supporter please dont respond. We wont get along.

In another, two women in their 20s were searching for a roommate to take over a lavender-colored room in their Columbia Heights apartment for $550. The women detailed their love of happy hours, a good Netflix sesh, pho and tacos.

Were open to any age/gender identity/non-identity, they added, so long as you didnt vote for Trump.

Washington, D.C. lists political affiliation as a protected traitbut Sheila Salmon, a housing lawyer, tell the Times, Would it truly be rejection or discrimination on political affiliation? She adds, I think theres a reasonable argument to be made that its not. In Salmons view, screening out Trump supporters is the same as saying you dont want any nonsmokers.

It would certainly be interesting to see if this would hold up in court. What is the point of making political affiliation a protected trait if supporting the candidate for one of two major parties does not constitute political affiliation?

Keep in mind that not all of the traits protected by housing law are of the immutable variety, i.e. race, national origin, skin color, etc. Other traits such as religion, and gender expression have some element of choice involved. Political affiliation, like religious affiliation, is not immutable but is often a matter of deeply held conviction.

Its revealing that there is still one group of people against whom someprogressives are eager to discriminate. The desire by some on the left to remain inside the progressive bubble at all times seems childish, even if its not illegal.

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Washington, DC progressives screening out Trump-supporters in ads for roommates - Hot Air

Good morning from a cold, post-blizzard Augusta, where Maine Democrats are on the hunt for someone to lead them out of the political wilderness after the 2016 cycle that brought you President Donald Trump, aided by a win in the 2nd Congressional District.

Its leading to calls among Democrats to draft Maine Senate Minority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, to run for governor in 2018. The longtime lawmaker has only gained stature in the party of late as the top surrogate here for Bernie Sanders during the presidential caucuses.

The Vermont senator beat eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton easily in Maine. Jackson, a plain-speaking logger and labor Democrat, is perhaps better positioned than any state-level politician to capitalize on the Sanders-type brand now having a moment in the party.

Until now, Jackson has ruled out running to replace the term-limited Gov. Paul LePage in 2018, citing the financial toll of his unsuccessful 2014 primary run for the 2nd District, which was marked by big-money Democratic groups who rallied behind Emily Cain and against Jackson.

But these fresh calls have gotten the attention of Jacksons son, Chace, who authored a public Facebook post on Thursday saying people have been expressing this sincere hope that his father will run, but I dont know what he ought to do and we really dont talk about it.

Noting that hell catch hell for writing the post, Chace Jackson laid out what progressives should do to draft his father, including avoiding a repeat of 2014 by not only lobbying him, but urging legislators, progressive groups and Sanders political organization to get behind him.

Imagine how dominant a Jackson campaign could be in a primary by fusing the massive base of Portland progressives with rural populists in Aroostook, Oxford, and elsewhere? he wrote. Thats not just a winning primary campaign, thats the nucleus of a winning Democratic (coalition) against the Republican nominee and a new dawn for Maine Democrats.

Its worth noting that former U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud tried that in in 2014 and lost to LePage, who got more support in Michauds own 2nd District. That longtime blue-collar Democratic district helped elect Trump and is represented now by second-term Republican Bruce Poliquin.

Any Democrat will have a hard time turning the rural tide, but Sanders win may have showed a path forward for the party in Maine. Whether Jackson will be that movements chief standard bearer will be a top question in state politics this year. Michael Shepherd

With tips, pitches, questions or feedback, email us at politics@bangordailynews.com. If youre reading The Daily Brief on the BDNs website or were forwarded it, click here to get Maines only newsletter on state politics and policy delivered via email every weekday morning.

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How Troy Jackson's son thinks progressives can try to draft his father for governor - Bangor Daily News