Inspiring speech at our One Year to Victory Golf Cart Rally by club FVP Eric Lipsetts

Thank you for coming out today, and thank you to Village Democratic Club President Diane Foley for getting this organized.

I thought about doing a let’s go get ‘em speech, but, my friends, these are such dangerous times in which we live I couldn’t ignore what is swirling around us.  There are wars being fought in Israel and Ukraine, we have mass shootings, almost daily, and a paralyzed Congress, with the House unable to convene during the crisis to respond to Hamas’ October 7^th atrocity.  And when it does convene, the House -- Republicans – abandon Ukraine, and tie aid to Israel with legislation that helps their tax-dodging friends get away with their crimes.  Disgusting.  

Oh, these are perilous times.  But to all I say, in these perilous times, loudly, proudly, thank God Joe Biden is President of the United States.

The wars are over there, but there is one ever-growing, crisis-level problem we face here: the potential election of Donald Trump.  The election of Trump will set loose such furies I am not confident the country can survive: we face a potential suspending of the constitution, jailing political enemies, withdrawing our forces from the fight for freedom.    

Beating Trump is right here.  This is our battle to fight.  And we will win.  Why?

Data points:  2020, Biden v. Trump, Biden 303 electoral votes, a majority of 8,000,000 votes.   2021, Kansas, of all places, rejection of an amendment that restricted women’s rights to control their own destiny, 2 to 1.  Michigan 2022, we took over the entire legislature.  And here in Florida – our Florida – in 2023 we are but inches from having women’s rights enshrined in our constitution, dooming Ron DeSantis’ anti-woke agenda forever. 

Let’s not kid ourselves, there is much work to be done, and the fight ahead is shaping up to be a tough one.  And potentially dangerous.  It will require courage. 

Katy Perry has a line: “after the hurricane is the rainbow.”  An awe-inspiring, history-making victory is almost in hand; I can see it: victory in Ukraine, a new Middle East, inflation slowing and prices coming down – gas was 2.87 yesterday – and Trump convicted -- it is hard for me to believe any rational person, in 2024, seeing what I see happening between now and the election  could pick convicted felon Trump over any Democratic nominee with such a record.  And I believe the American people are rational.

This golf cart rally today is the beginning of the push to November 2024, we are going to need your ideas and effort.  This is Round 1 (ding).  “Oh be swift my soul to answer, be jubilant my feet.”   We here are the tip of the spear. In the Villages.  Now, let’s go make some noise and show those flying Trump flags or pasting “let go Brandon” on the bumpers of their golf carts that we will not be silent, we are here, we are proud and loud Democrats. 

So let’s go win!