A Democratic Formula for Success
On the 15th Anniversary of Citizens United we need Bernie Sanders type candidates that are moderate — by Jim Crist, Wisconsin United To Amend
I’ve read a lot of articles about why the Democratic Party lost the election. The list is long and varied:
- Biden did a poor job controlling the southern border and got saddled with the post pandemic inflation problem.
- Biden said he’d be a one term president. His selfish arrogance led him to believe he was only person that could defeat Trump. He robbed his party of an open primary.
- Biden’s endorsement of Harris robbed the party of a mini-primary.
- Racism and sexism worked against a black, female candidate from California.
So, what should the Democratic Party do to win back more voters? The day after the election Bernie Sanders criticized the Democratic Party and its leadership for ignoring working-class voters during the “disastrous” campaign.
“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party, which has abandoned working-class people, would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders said.
“First, it was the working class, and now it is Latino and Black voters as well. While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”
Sanders’ statement is harsh, but he’s not wrong. Historically, the Democratic Party has been the party for the working class, while the Republican Party is the party for the rich. For a century, Democrats had been seen as the “party of the people” — the party against powerful special interests and for change. Now Trump’s populist conservatism has corroded the foundations of the Democratic Party’s appeal. Populism is defined as a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.
The Democratic Party needs to emphasize positions that appeal to everyday Americans. The three top issues according to Gallup polls are:
- Economy in general (e.g. jobs, prices, inflation)
- Corruption / Money In Politics
- Immigration / Border control
These three issues are the only ones with double digit percentages. Low to mid-single digit issues include abortion, healthcare, crime, climate change, etc.
The other important thing that Dems should do is to deemphasize issues that annoy working people. The Democratic coalition is primarily made up of folks that are college-educated, liberal, “politically correct” and “woke”. Many Americans resent being told how to think, speak or act on issues such as racism, discrimination and social justice.
I’m not saying candidates should never say anything about abortion, healthcare, social justice, etc. But they should spend 80% on the big three and be careful how they speak about cultural changes.
Much has been said about the top issue – the economy, but the number two issue – Corruption / Money In Politics is somehow ignored, like it’s a fact of life that can’t be changed. As Robert Reich points out in his excellent “America’s four stories” series:
Bernie Sanders told this story about the real Rot at the Top, but other leading Democrats have been reluctant to tell it.
The Democrats’ failure to tell this story has enabled Republican cultural populism to fill the void, offering Americans who were growing distrustful of the system an explanation for what had gone wrong and a set of villains to blame — immigrants, “coastal elites,” “woke”ism, the “deep state,” transgendered people, “communists,” “socialists,” the “Left,” Critical Race Theory, “cat ladies,” and other bogeymen.
But none of these is the real explanation. The real explanation, the real Rot at the Top, has been a new record concentration of wealth and power at the top — enough to corrupt our system of self-government.
Democrats have been reluctant to criticize the monied interests because they depend on big money from corporations and the wealthy. But all Americans are angry about the money in politics and its associated corruption, and it’s time Democrats speak truth to power. As David Brooks said after the election in his NYTimes Opinion piece: “The Democratic party has one job: to combat inequality”.
The Citizens United decision has made pandering for big money the norm for both parties. But the vast majority of wealthy democrats are sick of money in politics, too. There’s a reason many people voted for Bernie in the primaries and Trump in the general election in 2016.
The third top issue is immigration. Last year, Pew Research published a poll indicating that 80% of Americans thought the U.S. government was doing a bad job handling the migrant influx. Illegal border crossings soared to record levels under President Biden, averaging two million per year from 2021 to 2023. No one should be surprised that the Dems lost the election after that. Biden’s executive order in June that closed the border came three years too late. People want a controlled border. But we don’t want family separations and kids in cages. The Democratic position needs to be both tough and compassionate. To be clear, discrimination of any kind is unacceptable.
The bottom line is that people are sick of corruption and political dysfunction. They know that billionaires and mega corporations get whatever they want and the rest of us get no representation whatsoever. We need Bernie Sanders type candidates that are moderate who will: (1) harp incessantly about money in politics, corruption and inequality, and (2) push for policies that benefit everyday middle-class Americans, and (3) avoid talking about free college, free healthcare or anything that can be construed as woke.
And if you are sick of the money, corruption and political dysfunction, please take action by contacting George at Wisconsin United To Amend.