"Don't Soul-Search. Stiffen Your Backbone."
That's the lesson Bill de Blasio, New York City's first Democratic Mayor in 20 years, is encouraging Democrats to heed in the wake of the 2014 midterms. On Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio warned his party that failing to embrace progressive policies could strengthen a certain Mitch McConnell-endorsed GOP presidential candidate in 2016 -- Senator Rand Paul.
According to the National Journal, de Blasio told POLITICO's Mike Allen that Paul (R-KY) would be the "most formidable opponent for Democrats" in the upcoming presidential contest.
"He evinces a certain authenticity that any good Democrat should worry about," he said. And as long as Paul isn't swayed by his fellow Republicans, he'll be strong contender. "To the extent that there is a libertarian philosophy that he sticks to regardless of political convenience, I think that makes him a stronger candidate than many."
This sentiment has also been
echoed by senior Obama aide Dan Pfeiffer. de Blasio's remarks also come on the heels of H.A. Goodman, columnist for the left-leaning (if often times Greenwald-tinged) Salon
announcing his support for Sen. Paul in a 2016 matchup against Hillary Clinton. Goodman outlines key areas where Paul's positions could be viewed as more progressive than Clinton's, especially as they relate to foreign policy and fighting systemic racism within the criminal justice system.
In 2014, we can allow the concept of liberals embracing Rand Paul to remain in the abstract; a theoretical hypothesis that should serve as a wake-up call to rally around the President and his achievements.
We know that Rand Paul will attempt to run a "transformational" presidential campaign that seeks partisan realignment. Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is simply running away from a transformational figure in President Obama. The Clintons' 90s values are out-of-sync with the base, the Party, and the country.
Paul will run as a post-Obama candidate who understands the fundamental ways the electorate has changed since the 44th President took office. We need a Democratic candidate who can do the same.
Standing up for Democratic values isn't just the right thing to do, it's the only way the Party can remain a dynamic force that inspires ascendant demographics. If being a Democrat is again synonymous with the people responsible for DADT and DOMA, deregulating the banks, and slashing the social safety net, we could very well end up with President Paul.
Bill de Blasio won a landslide 73% victory in 2013 by embracing progressive economic policy and promising to tackle discrimination in the NYPD. As such his advice should carry more weight than this year's strategists and losing candidates who centered their campaigns around right-wing and anti-Obama themes, and who lost big time.
One easy way Democrats can "stiffen their backbone" is by standing with our President whose "spine of steel" continues to be on display this month as he champions net neutrality and fights climate change.