It’s fascinating listening to Republicans today. Horrified by Donald Trump, the President their Party chose, these “never-Trumpers” are now telling the Democrats what candidate to nominate.
The Devil’s Bargain
I can’t blame them for turning away from Trump. Skipping the entire litany of terrible things he is responsible for, everyone should be repelled by at least two actions. First, his embrace of dictators from Kim to Putin to MBS. Trump has excoriated the leaders of, as Putin would say, “liberal democracies,” but it’s all hugs and smiles for tyrants that murder.
Second are the intentional atrocities at the Southern Border. We know that Presidential Advisor Stephen Miller and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions set in place a program to “send a message” to Central America. The message was simple: we don’t want you to come to the United States, and we will treat you inhumanely if you do.
The result of this policy was child separation, and now, the unacceptable conditions of both child and adult detention centers. We, the United States, have “crimes against humanity” occurring on our border, by our government agents, in our name.
Republicans were asked to swallow so much in return for Supreme Court Justices and tax cuts. It is no wonder that many are gagging now, and want out of the “devil’s bargain” they made to avoid Hillary Clinton.
Not Your Call, Not My Business
But don’t tell us Democrats who to chose for our Presidential candidate in 2020. We see a vote against Trump as a moral imperative and would welcome yours. But, we aren’t going to nominate a “Republican-lite” in order to get it. If you want that, Bill Weld is running, John Kasich would if he could: go find a way to fix your own Party.
But of course, you can’t. The Republican Party has been totally infected with Trumpism: it will take the destruction of the Party to rebuild. Just as Democrats don’t want your advice on who to nominate, we shouldn’t presume to tell you how to rebuild your Party. But it does seem that “good” Republicans have voluntarily muzzled themselves, and it’s hard to believe that’s just because they are afraid of Presidential “tweets.”
It must be something more than just fear of losing votes. A little unsolicited advice: check how much Russian money has gotten into the campaign coffers of the “good” Republicans.
What’s Right for Democrats
The Democratic Party is going through a process. Sure, right now some candidates are answering questions about bussing for school desegregation, eliminating the Electoral College, reparations for slavery, and American bilingualism. These are issues that are important to segments of the Democratic electorate, and that’s what the primary process is all about.
But Democrats recognize the big problems of our time: health care costs, climate change, income disparity, women’s health rights, institutional racism, and the failure of the world order the United States has led since World War II. We have more than twenty candidates offering diverse solutions to these problems. Some of those solutions seem extreme, some are sound; we have eight months until the first caucus and primaries. We will sort through all of the choices, and find the candidate that has the best chance to forward our solutions.
A Coalition
The formula for a Democratic coalition to win the Presidency is sound. It’s not just about winning a majority; Democrats proved in 2000 and 2016 they could do that and still lose the Presidency. Even with the same 2016 vote: Wisconsin and Michigan now have Democratic Governors, and there were big Democratic gains in the House of Representatives in 2018. The “generic” situation has changed. There’s no “sure thing” in politics, but that definitely includes the re-election of Donald J. Trump.
It’s Our Party
Democrats are going to represent Democrats. We are a party of women’s and minority rights, we are a party of the working class. In the face of Trumpism, the Democratic Party is going to be true to it’s own base, and it’s own values. It’s OUR Party. But you’re welcome to join in. My God, if you could swallow Trump last time, you should be able to stomach health care for all and choice. And if you can’t, we will do without your vote.
