Since the age of Facebook, Democrats have focused almost exclusively on social politics at the expense of all else. I agree that each of these issues is important and Democrats as a whole should always stand on the correct side of these issues but to talk about them instead of other issues is not going to yield the resounding electoral wins that our political stances popularity suggests we should be obtaining. On issue after issue, ranging from health care to wealth disparity to the environment to the role of government, Americans as a whole agree with the Democratic party. But Democrats keep losing in the political fights. I believe this is because, instead of focusing on those core issues, our elected officials, and even those here on this site, are focused on social injustices.
While most Americans will agree (these days!) that LGBTQ people should not be discriminated against, that women should not be sexually harassed, that immigrants (whether gifted children or just regular Mohamed’s, Santiago’s, Maria’s, or Fatima’s) should be given a chance to flourish here in the United States unfortunately these are not the issues that drive voters. They will definitely get us progressives up and marching, and I am by no means saying we should stop fighting for civil rights and social justice, I just feel that if we want to win elections, so that we can put the good guys and gals in office to defend these basic social rights that shouldn’t even need to be argued these days, as a party we need to focus more of our time and energy on the kitchen table politics. The things that affect every persons well being.
Bernie Sanders did this masterfully. He always spoke about jobs, income inequality, and health care. And he argued them effectively. He was not brought off topic by journalists leading questions, he skillfully always brought it back to his main issues. Some comedians made fun of him for his persistence to stick to his guns, but that still meant that every American always heard his stance. They heard Democrats (I know, I know, not technically a Democrat, but in all ways he is a Democrat) standing strongly and proudly on the side of everyday people. There are huge injustices that the Republican party is enacting on a daily basis but all I ever hear in the news is what new ridiculous thing Donald Trump has tweeted.
On the top of the rec list right now is a diary about how Donald Trump changed the Presidential Challenge Coin. This is a thing which I had never heard of before I saw it here. Now granted, it highlights how hes a narcissist, but who didn’t already know that. If I were an average uninformed voter, I could care less what a coin that Donald Trump hands out to people looks like. Similarly, when Senator Gillibrand started attacking Senator Franken many many pundits (both here and in the news media) trumpeted that she was a strong presidential candidate. She might very well be. But her stance on women’s right not to be harassed isn’t going to be the critical issue that people decide who to vote for. This was already proven by Donald Trump winning the presidency despite being an accused serial harasser. (Again to reiterate, I believe women should not be harassed or made to feel intimidated and my stance after seeing all this stuff in the news is that it would probably be best to only have women in positions of power). What the particular issue of the day is is not the point. We as a party have to say when someone says “oh did you see what Trump did yesterday” respond with Yes I saw he has instituted deregulations that are going to hurt the environment for generations to come. Or Yes the Republicans are giving Wall Street a free ticket to bring us back to the Depression era speculation. Or Yes the Republicans have just increased the income disparity in our country to the same level as the gilded age. When the Democratic party as a whole threatens to shut down the government that should be for these big everyday items. Stuff that the country can say oh look the Democrats really care about health care or they really care about income inequality or the environment.
And once more, I believe the Democratic party should always be standing on the side of the minority and the oppressed. I believe that with every fiber of my being. Whenever there is a civil or social injustice Democrats should be right out in front stating loudly and clearly, No we will not permit this to occur. I just want us not to focus on Trump and his daily craziness and give some voice to some of the big ticket things that are simply being ignored.
