Common Phrase
There is an assumption that everyone “knows” the common acronyms and sayings in the world. But, use one of those “known” sayings, the “assumes” acronym: making an “ass of you and me”. That was me when I was twenty, and on the staff of a US Congressman in Cincinnati. He was famous for his incredibly bad temper, a Marine who often indulged in alcohol, and abuse of his staff. As a young Democratic “operative”, it was a Cincinnati “rite of passage” to work for him and absorb his tirades. I got fired seven times in one summer, the second least on the Cincinnati staff. And one of the times I got in “big trouble”, was when I ignored the letters, “ASAP” on the top of a memo from him.
I had no clue what “ASAP” meant, so I ignored it and rotated the task to the bottom of my “to do list”. There was a lot going. I was responsible for scheduling minute-to-minute all of the events and duties the Congressman “had” to do while back in Cincinnati. But, he soon roared back to me, and taught in a profanity laced, Marine Drill Instructor form, that an “ASAP” from him meant, RIGHT NOW (not just As Soon As Possible).
Just Plain Lying
The next year I was a first-year teacher. My principal was a guy named Pete Nix. He seemed “old” to me, though looking back he was only forty-two. And he was definitely intimidating, another Marine, a wrestling coach, and a “man of the South”. He was the perfect mentor to a “long haired” twenty-one year old, fresh out of Denison University. I don’t ever remember him yelling or being abusive; he was the kind of man who didn’t need to. A shake of his head, drawling “I wish you hadn’t done that”, was enough to correct almost any flaw. And of course, if you were a student, the paddle he kept behind his deck, well-worn from use on the “seats” of high school student’s bodies, was always a threat.
Pete knew all of the common “sayings” plus dozens of others from his Southern upbringing. One he introduced me to still has validity today: “Figures lie, and liars figure”. In education there is a lot of “data” gathered; attendance, grades, standardized test scores, teacher recommendations. But that “data” is all subject to manipulation, emphasizing one over the other. Pete was a master at cutting to the chase, and throwing out the “fluff”. If you wanted permission to do something, you needed to make a solid, clear, and precise argument. Otherwise, he’d tell you, “You’re just figurin’”. And you knew what that meant – you never wanted him to think you were manipulating either the data, or him. That was just plain “lying”.
Today’s Headline
So one of the banners on this morning’s political news, was the results of a Wall Street Journal poll. This headline summed it up best: “6 in 10 voters view Democrats Negatively: WSJ Poll” (The Hill). And various commentators bemoaned “what has become” of Democrats? How could Trump, with all of his baggage of confusing tariffs, cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, starving Palestinians, a Defense Secretary leaking classified information, and, of course, the EPSTEIN FILES; still have more of America’s confidence than the Democrats?
What’s wrong with the Democrats? Commentators, left and right, demand that Democrats need a “total rebuild”. And the far-right was convinced that the Democratic Party is going the way of the Whigs and the Federalists into historic oblivion.
There’s another “common phrase”, coined by 19th century author Mark Twain: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”. So too, are the reports of the “end” of the Democratic Party.
More Figures
First of all, remember the source. The Wall Street Journal is ultimately owned by Rupert Murdock of Fox News fame. So an “unbiased poll” from them, is as unlikely as Pam Bondi telling you that “there’s nothing to see in the Epstein Files”. And let’s look at some of the other results of that same poll. Democrats led Republicans in “Generic Congressional Vote” by three percent. So while “6 in 10 voters view Democrats Negatively”, the majority would still pick a Democratic Congress; go figure. And that same poll also finds that the United States, with a Republican President, House, Senate, and Supreme Court; is on the “wrong track”, 55% to 39%.
Finally, just a reality check. Democrats lost the Presidency, and the Senate last year. They went from the empowered party to a party with no power at all. In addition, the leadership of the Democratic Party is in total flux, as it should be. Joe Biden is done, Kamala Harris does not appear to be the “heir apparent” anymore, and there will be a marvelous struggle to see who can win the Democratic leadership come 2028. But that three years away, a lifetime of political changes from today. Meanwhile, there’s no single place for Democrats to “lead from”, at least until 2026. The Party looks helpless, because it is.
Roaring Back
It wasn’t that different back in 2017. Democrats were in shock that Trump won (and Hillary lost) and had neither the House nor the Senate. “The Resistance” then, seemed unable to stop all of Trump’s craziness. But they came roaring back in 2018, with the House switching to Democratic power, and Nancy Pelosi leading to an even stronger showing in 2020. It can all happen again.
MAGA wants a target, to take the pressure off of themselves. The old “Bernie and OAC” attacks don’t seem to be making headway. So they want Democrats to look and feel “lost”. And meanwhile, they are shooting themselves in the foot with all of the current crises, mostly of their own creation.
Should Democrats worry about a “negative image” in a Wall Street Journal poll? Sure, they should. Is it time to panic, to join Elon Musk in a the new “American Party” (like the Whigs joined old Federalists in the Republican Party back in the 1850’s)? That answer is a strong “NOPE”.
It is time to start building. First, build momentum to gain four seats in the House and Senate in 2026 to regain the control of the Congress. Then they can start to take back the power that the current leadership gave over to the President. And Democrats will find a candidate, in due time, to put back in the White House. We will have remarkable choice of candidates in the 2028 primaries, and we will find a leader who can win. And then we can start rebuilding our government and Nation, with “liberty and justice, for all”.
So, ignore the “lying and figuring”. Let’s get to work.
