This year, I’m thankful for the future Permanent Select Committee on Hunter Biden’s Laptop. Republicans are already getting themselves into a lather about another fake scandal that will keep their base outraged while alienating the rest of the country. They will elevate the voices of Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, Lauren Boebert and others who push the party to the far right, complicating their 2024 presidential primary. I can’t wait. 

I’m also thankful to President Joe Biden. He may be the most underestimated politician in history. Every time I think he’s down and out, he shows up with a big win. I assumed his political career was over when he chose not to challenge Hillary Clinton in 2016. I thought he had lost the Democratic primary after his showing in Iowa and New Hampshire. I thought his presidency was going to be a drag on the midterm elections before the summer of 2022. Instead, he has blown expectations away and had one of the most successful first terms in recent history. 

Thanks, Joe, for gun control legislation, regardless of how modest. Thanks for the CHIPs bill. Thanks for the infrastructure bill to repair and expand our transportation and communication networks. Thanks for reducing the costs of prescription drugs. Thanks for taking a significant step toward addressing climate change. Thanks for easing student loan debt. Thanks for calling out Donald Trump. Thanks for clarifying the stakes of the midterm election. And thanks for helping keep the Senate in Democratic hands. 

Thanks also to the Never-Trump movement that is holding Republicans accountable for their abandonment of conservative principles and embrace of reactionary ones. They have exposed GOP hypocrisy and called out politicians like Lindsey Graham who have gone from sharply criticizing the reactionary movement to pandering to Trumpist and others, all in the pursuit of political power. They have truly put country before party, recognizing the threat their former party poses to American democracy. 

I’m also thankful for Elon Musk. I have laughed harder at him than I have laughed since the early days of Saturday Night Live. He’s also done more to undermine the myth that rich people are smart and the richer, the smarter. Musk may have some talents, but he clearly is no genius. I have mixed feelings about Twitter in general. I hate to abandon it to the right wing, but I also won’t be too upset if it fails. 

Finally, I’m most thankful for my family and my community. Both have sustained and nurtured me. My family gives me great joy. They have challenged me and supported me, helping me to continue to grow. My community gives me a sense of place and a feeling of belonging. Together, they give me hope for the future.