'Democrats' Hamlet Moment Isn't the Start of a Solution But the Heart of the Problem' [View all]
(TPM) "Ive been observing the on-going debates about which of the several 'reckonings' Democrats need to have to improve their fortunes with what I can only describe as a mounting frustration and disgust. Theres the one over Joe Biden being old. Theres the one about Democrats becoming too 'woke' and speech police-y. Theres the one about having betrayed or fallen short about this or that left-leaning cause. On the merits I agree with some of these more than others. Some I think are genuinely important. But as things Democrats should be focusing on now, taking accountability for, repositioning, whatever (!) they all, taking together, strike me as different sorts of pathetic, out-of-touch and myopic distractions."
"Parties succeed and gain traction by doing far more than by self-analyzing. And my own theory of the case is that core driver and cause of the low standing of the Democratic party right now is not wokeness or immigration or Joe Bidens age but the fact that Democrats are simply not effective at advancing the policies they claim to support or protecting the constituencies they claim to defend. Put simply, they are some mix of unable and unwilling to wield power to achieve specific ends."
"The way for Democrats to raise their standing is to demonstrate that they can be effective at addressing the challenges and dangers of today, as in stuff thats happening right now: massive cuts to Medicaid; pervasive worry and insecurity tied to erratic tariff policy and the fear of inflation and recession; massive cuts to basic disease cure research. If I didnt mention the issue that matters most to you by all means add it. Very little of what Trump is doing is popular. Its true that Democrats in Washington have very little effective power. But they can certainly use it more effectively than they have over the last four months. And where they cant directly disrupt present policies they can make the case against them publicly, build opposition, build arguments for electing Democrats next year."
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/democrats-hamlet-moment-isnt-the-start-of-a-solution-but-the-heart-of-the-problem