The Land of Misfit Issues
So here’s a list that should make any Democratic candidate shudder: bussing for desegregation, abolishing the Electoral College, statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and reparations for slavery.
So here’s a list that should make any Republican strategist gleeful: bussing for desegregation, abolishing the Electoral College, statehood for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, and reparations for slavery.
The Liberal Dream
Look, I’m a liberal Democrat. I believe in desegregation as a way of making the generational change to end racial bias. The Electoral College is an anachronism designed to protect the “government from the whims of the masses.” It didn’t even work with Trump. I am heartily in favor of statehood for Puerto Rico and DC; the contrast in treatment after the hurricanes in Texas and Puerto Rico clearly makes the case. America would be better if we recognized our ancestor’s mortal sin of slavery. We need to acknowledge that our nation still gains benefit because of it, and our need to rectify the atrocity.
But I also recognize that to a lot of other Americans, with differing political views; these issues range from “flighty” to “crazy.” These are not the issues Democrats should fight the campaign of 2020 on.
Wedge Issues
They are the “liberal” dream, but they are also some of the most divisive issues of our time. Bussing for desegregation of schools tore many in my generation apart. It was the driving force in the formation of many of our cities today, with the growth of small nearby rural towns into suburbs to avoid urban desegregation. This issue is not just one that will energize the Republican base, if Republicans can make the case to the suburbs that Democrats will, “send your kids to the inner-city schools” the “soccer Mom” vote, disgusted with Mr. Trump, will turn back to him in a minute.
Statehood for Puerto Rico and the District will be characterized as a Democratic “coup” to take over the Senate. The four new Senators that new statehood brings would certainly be Democrats, and while both of those places deserve their seats in the House and Senate, it plays straight into the Trump “brown people taking over” theme.
The same Democratic takeover case can be made about ending the Electoral College. In popular vote, the Democratic Party has the majority of votes. While in my “liberal, one person one vote” mind, that should be enough, the alt-right argues: “New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will determine our President.” That’s not quite true, but it makes the point for them.
Payback or Change
The concept of reparations, of Americans today held responsible for the economic and humanitarian sins of our fathers, is a perfect “wedge” issue. Logically, how can anyone argue against the fact that African-Americans today still bare the effects of slavery, Black Codes, Jim Crow, segregation and discrimination? The sins of the past are still sins of the present, and only by recognizing this will America “move on.”
Reparations are a very public and dramatic way of doing so. But it seems to be so difficult for folks to “get it;” most don’t know the White House was built by “contract” slaves, and don’t recognize that the difference between urban and suburban schooling are a direct result of slavery and discrimination.
Instead the right spouts an “American dream” speech: we can all “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps,” whatever those are. Reparations needs to be fought for, but should be discussed in different terms. Reparations means some kind of “payback;” but America needs a kind of “reconciliation and truth” moment. It should recognize what was done, what is still happening and what can be done to correct the problem. Just call it something else.
An Existential Threat and an Old Voter Model
There is an existential threat to America: his name is Donald Trump. Defeating him needs to be the primary goal of the Democratic Party. We need to be the party of working folks, income growth, healthcare, women’s rights, protecting our environment now and in the future, racial ethnic and identity equality, and honest and open government. If we do those things, we can get the United States to repudiate the hate and ugliness of the past four years.
Then Democrats can govern, and do those things and more. But we’ve got to win first. While there are lots of hopeful election models out there, the current one is pretty simple. There are 40% of the people who identify as Democrats, and around 40% who are the “Trump” base. That leaves 20% of the voters who make the decision about who wins.
Democrats can create an environment where the middle twenty percent welcome with relief the change from Trump. Or Democrats can get boxed into a political environment where fear and lies “win,” forcing the twenty percent to swallow the disgusting Trump once again. We need to keep our eyes on the prize.
