Democracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion The Commanders offer optimism in these fractured times

A magical season puts a dark and forgettable era behind us.

4 min

Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols scores on a 1-yard run against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Northwest Stadium in Landover on Sunday. (Nick Wass/AP)

November 11, 2024 at 5:44 p.m. EST

I was in the stands Sunday when my Washington Commanders lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 28-27. It was heartbreaking. But I left the stadium with more optimism — or, at least, less pessimism — about the future of our bitterly fractured country in the wake of last week’s election.

Opinion by Eugene Robinson

Eugene Robinson writes a column on politics and culture and hosts a weekly online chat with readers. In a three-decade career at The Washington Post, Robinson has been city hall reporter, city editor, foreign correspondent in Buenos Aires and London, foreign editor, and assistant managing editor in charge of the paper’s Style section. @Eugene_Robinson

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