“Dems in disarray” is the theme since the Iowa debacle. (If they cant run their own nominating process, how can they run the country?) And now the puzzling NH results: The most progressive candidate wins but the more centrist candidates taken together get twice as many votes.
How are we supposed to read that?
And now here comes Bloomberg, with obvious contempt for the process as well as for his fellow candidates of modest means, buying his way into contention, which doesn’t seem like good advertising for the party of the little people.
So many months into the nomination process, which started with such a large, diverse field of smart, attractive candidates, the question is for the first time really being asked, with some desperation: can anyone beat Trump?
I have no question that fine progressive ideas such as Medicare-for-all, the Green New Deal, and a wealth tax to address inequality constitute the Democrats’ best foot forward. It seems clear that Sanders and Warren believe that it will take the freshness and logic of these progressive ideas to compete with whatever it is that turns too many people on about Trump’s dangerously undemocratic instincts.
Until recently I have thought that, too. But it seems clear that though many are attracted to Medicare-for-all, etc, (polls often show all of them with majority support), the overriding campaign issue for Democrats, the one likely to galvanize the most voters, is defeating the growing danger of Trump.
Construing, after his fashion, the failure to be convicted in the impeachment effort as a victory and mandate, Trump grows bolder in his contempt for separation of powers, by declaring the only body empowered by the constitution to bring impeachment charges “unconstitutional” and those who performed that duty “scum.” He leans on the Justice Department in behalf of his crony Roger Stone.(To mention only a couple of his offenses).
The time has come to get serious about opposing him. In every debate all candidates pay lip service to the overriding importance of Trump’s removal, but the way they do so doesn’t seem to make that removal more likely.
What this alarmed citizen would like to see is all those still in the race (and maybe those who have dropped out) appearing publically together in a nationally televised convocation–not a debate—to declare a change in tack: the most compellingly progressive idea is not a specific program such as Medicare-for-All but getting rid of the clear-and-present danger of another four years of Trump.
In such a format candidates and other respected and knowledgeable people would explain how, despite the low employment number and high Dow number, Trump is not God’s gift to working people. They would spell out exactly how Trump is a danger to our democracy and way of life. And what is likely to happen to the country (and the world) if Trump is encouraged by a second term.
At such a convocation those candidates who have disdained the money of wealthy people who would like to see Trump defeated would announce that they can no longer afford to be so purist. If it takes “our” billionaire to defeat theirs, however contradictory that seems of some fundamental principles, so be it. Bloomberg should announce that his money is at the disposal of this goal, no matter who the candidate.
Let those for and against the New Green Deal and a wealth tax duke it out once democracy is restored.
The tone of such a convocation should be one of alarmed determination,. It may well take such a desperate measure, this unprecedented overriding of personal ambitions, to make clear that these are indeed desperate times.
Let future primary voting be about that one issue: who is most likely to unite the campaign to unseat the dangerous incumbent.
We can’t wait for the late summer convention to come up with solidarity around a platform and candidate. The disarray, confusion being generated by this nominating process is demoralizing to the majority of liberal voters. It shows lack of seriousness on the part of all concerned.
If all the candidates believe the most important issue is defeating the incumbent. they should start acting like it.
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