Democrats are fighting amongst themselves? There’s a brawl for the soul of the party? The far left and the moderates don’t see eye-to-eye? And the conservative Democrats are nowhere to be found?
Do tell. And welcome to another presidential election season.
Democratic dysfunction has been the norm for every election cycle save for the ones where there is a Democratic incumbent. Let’s see; that would mean 1996 and 2012 in the most modern era. Other than that? What we have now.
I’ll get this out of the way early: If the Democrats run on a decidedly left-wing agenda, they will lose the election. Donald Trump won a minority of the popular vote, but he won in enough places where relatively conservative voters switched to him from Obama because they didn’t like Hillary Clinton to win in 2016. That’s exactly where the 2020 election will be won.
Or lost.
Forget about Texas. Forget about Arizona. Forget about Georgia. Forget, even, about Ohio and maybe Florida. The key for the Democrats is going to be the Midwestern states that had hitherto been reliably in their column. And the key to winning those states back lies in a more moderate message about health care, security, and a return to a government that functions in the interests of the people. They can even talk about bringing respect and dignity back to the presidency, an immigration system that meets our economic and human rights needs, and a tax plan that doesn’t ask middle class Americans to pay more than they did before the last tax act was passed.
And what about Medicare for all? Free college tuition? Higher taxes on the wealthy? The Green New Deal? Great ideas. Their time will come. Remember that it took the conservatives 40 years for their terrible ideas to become mainstream. It will take around 20 years for these good ideas to replace them. Trying to force them earlier will result in delays because Democrats will not win enough elections by moving to the far left.
Move to the moderate left. The pragmatic left. Win majorities in statehouses and Congress. Move the state courts leftward. That’s how it’s done.
Joe Biden can win enough of the people who voted for Trump but are now tired of the president’s incompetence and embarrassing behavior. Maybe some of the other announced, Kamala Harris, or unannounced, Kirsten Gillibrand can too. I don’t think Bernie or Elizabeth Warren or Beto O’Rourke can.
The other key is to make sure that Americans register to vote. There’s enough time to continue the drive, file complaints, and educate the public on how important it is to participate. Especially those people who will support our issues.
For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest
