The Trump, GOP and Russian playbook will be exactly the same in 2018 as it was in 2016 — (i) stir up the racist/homophobic/misogynistic/xenophobic GOP base and, more importantly, (ii) use “purity-plays” and wedge issues to suppress and divide the Democratic base. Item (i) is, for the most part, out of our control. We fully decide on item (ii).
As for item (ii), just looking at what has been written in the past week, that ball is now fully in play for 2018:
- Here the Washington Post discusses how liberal outrage could be an obstacle for Democrats in the midterms
- Here, here and here the NYT, Politico and NBC News go hyperbolic in contriving the notion that Democrats are in disarray
- Here the NYT warns of a coming… dare we say, “rebellion” within the Democratic Party
- Here Axios reports on the existential danger of Democrats calling for the abolition of ICE
- Here the RNC warns of ‘unhinged liberals’ threatening Democrat’s electoral chances
- Here the Washington Post conjures up a ‘looming crisis’ facing Democrats
- etc.
The ball is in play. It’s fully in play. This ploy is so fucking obvious and pathetic, but it can't be dismissed because it’s worked well for them in the past.
We decide now. Do we take the bait? Do we do exactly what Trump and the GOP want us to do and believe we will do, or do we turn the tables on them and show unprecendted Democratic discipline?
From now on (not just 2018), the sole focus of all political activity from the Democratic Party and all progressive organizations should be to educate progressive voters on the existential importance of voting with discipline in every federal, state and local election in every election cycle. Nothing is more important. Unless and until progressive voters understand this, the nightmare we are living gets much worse.