So the pundits are debating whether the Democratic Party is becoming the new Party of No. The Democrats have to energize the base, the pundits say. Turnabout is fair play, they add. And they lament the hollowing out of the center and the increasing polarization of our political discourse.
Missing in all this discussion: what are the Democrats saying no to anyway?
- Republicans want to completely deregulate corporations so they are no longer accountable to anyone. Hopefully corporations will minimize pollution and pay their workers a fair wage out of the goodness of their hearts. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Democrats should oppose corporate deregulation.
- Republicans want to thoroughly regulate women’s bodies under the sanctimoniousness of life excuse. Never mind that the witch hunt on Planned Parenthood has taken more lives than saved (look up maternal mortality in Texas, for starters). So maybe Democrats should oppose the Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP, an acronym quite telling of the malicious intent of such laws).
- Republicans want to dismantle the Meals on Wheels program. Maybe all those lazy seniors (including many wartime veterans) will just die off of hunger without a visit to the hospital first (because TrumpCare probably doesn’t cover that). This one especially deserves a loud hell no!
- And speaking of TrumpCare, Republicans want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. I have the freedom to be uninsured if I want, right? But if down the road I get in an accident or am diagnosed with some serious health condition (I hope these are both hypotheticals) then my health care provider has the freedom to price gouge me. So yeah, I’m going to go ahead and say Democrats should also oppose TrumpCare.
- Republicans want to defund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. What the hell is wrong with those bastards? Whatever happened to the sanctity of life?
- Republicans refused to at least hold a ceremonial vote on Judge Merrick Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court, under an asinine excuse with no basis in the Constitution or precedent. Some here on Daily Kos complained Garland was not liberal enough. Which would mean he’s a centrist? That’s President Obama trying to meet Republicans in the middle, and Republicans said no. Do you hear Republicans complaining that Gorsuch is not conservative enough? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Democrats should do everything they can to block Gorsuch from the Supreme Court.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, just a few points off the top of my head.
And maybe in some of the above points I’m failing to distinguish between pile of garbage Donald Trump's agenda and the agenda of establishment Republicans. But unless Republicans in Congress grow a backbone and stand up to Amerikan Soviet Führer Drumpf, the distinction is irrelevant.
Bernie Sanders laid out the conditions under which Democrats could work with the Trumpublicans. But have the Trumpublicans done anything to try to arrive at consensus with the Democrats? No. So that should be the Democrat response to the Republican agenda.