As we know, the press loves to write about the factions within the Democratic Party, and frame it as a binary dynamic. Like one faction needs to win over the other. They write articles that say or ask:
- There’s a tug of war for the heart of the party.
- Will the progressive wing of the party take the party to where it’s no longer appealing to the American public?
- The moderate wing of the party won the midterms. No, the progressive wing of the party won the midterms.
- Will the two wings of the party go to war over Nancy Pelosi?
Yes, there are more progressive and more moderate Democrats (along with a bunch of other types of diversity!). And there is necessarily a robust debate within the Democratic Party about the right approach to issues. But there are lots of other ways to talk about this dynamic that are equally accurate and relevant, and that fill out the picture. (For starters, how about both wings of the Democratic Party won the midterms!!)
This blog is about proposing an alternative frame that I think would be beneficial for us to use, whenever we have the opportunity. That’s expressing appreciation for our Democratic colleagues who are connected with a different constituency.
Democrats are about making things better for regular Americans. We have a platform that is stronger across the board on the issues that really matter. Our policies make life more secure and humane for men and women, old and young, urban and rural, white and black and brown, queer and straight. And in fact, it’s the diversity of our constituency that makes it imperative that we have members that really get the lives, the needs, and the concerns of people in these different demographic and interest groups—and can speak effectively to and with them.
When the press asks the tiringly annoying questions about progressive gains at the expense of the moderates, or vice versa—or any number of other questions that imply that there is a destructive polarity in the Democratic Party, I think a great redirect would be:
I appreciate my Democratic colleague who understands farm country in Iowa, [or who is tapped into public sentiment in Orange County, California, or who hails from the Muslim community in Minneapolis, or who resonates with restless and indebted new graduates].
I’m grateful that they speak those language, that they have a deep understanding of those American communities. Democrats advance policies that are beneficial across the spectrum of ordinary Americans, so we need members that connect with all of those communities.
It’s only right that some of us are more moderate, and some are more liberal, because so are the communities that benefit from Democratic policies.
So even though we may disagree on policy approaches sometimes, I need the perspective of my Democratic colleagues that are more [progressive/moderate/urban/rural...]. They fill out my understanding of America, and how we can best make people’s lives better.
I’m really grateful for my Democratic colleagues. In fact, they’re rock stars!
(After getting two comments that said this should be at the top of the rec list, this is a repost with a snazzier title. I hope that’s not breaking any rules! I promise I won’t repost it again. :-)