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Now that the 2020 election has
concluded, there has been no shortage of commentary on how things
played out: It was good for Republicans and bad for Democrats. The
Grand Old Party (GOP) has become thoroughly Trumpified. The majority
of Democratic voters rejected progressive policies. There was voter
fraud in liberal districts. There was voter fraud in conservative
districts. Trump voters are delusional. The pollsters are
pathetically inept. White women still supported Trump more than the
polls let on. Latino voters are more conservative than they are given
credit for. More and more Black voters are rejecting the Democratic
Party and its policies. The election results are a warning for the
Democratic Party. President Trump has still not conceded and probably
has something up his sleeve. The rhetoric goes on and on.
Finger pointing aside, it did not
take long for many individuals from all corners of the political
spectrum to hone in on one group of people: The progressive wing of
the Democratic Party. From the deep state conspiracy theorists at FOX
News to centrist Democrats, party elders, and various pundits on
cable news
- yes, indeed!
- It appeared
that everyone had something to say about this segment of the party.
Truth
be told, many factions were scapegoated for the less-than-stellar
performance of the Democrats, but progressives were held in
particular contempt. The accusations were fast and furious, like
buckets of hail thundering down from the sky.
Blame
was placed squarely on the squad
- the
formidable, multiracial, and fiercely charismatic quartet of
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida
Tlaib - citing the divisiveness of Black Lives Matter, identity
politics, a too far-left agenda, and so on.
There
were other supposed culprits, as well:
The Democratic
Socialist fat lady who refused to sing; the cancel culture critters
who terrified otherwise sane and rational voters into splitting their
tickets; the identity politics trio of Ivan, Irene, and Ichabod, who
sent chills down the spines of millions of undecided voters (if you
actually believe there were that many undecided voters in this
election year) with their supposedly “callous and irrational”
rhetoric. Plus, we certainly cannot forget the diabolical and
certainly less-than-dynamic political duo of Devon and Dave. Goodness
knows that the ample amount of demonic rhetoric they espoused
regarding the demand that everyone be granted the right to adequate
health care was nothing short of being a sacrilegious speech in the
minds of many. Not to mention, bodacious Barry and belligerent
Bethany who sounded alarm bells with their demands that members of
the LGBTQ community be treated equally with their heterosexual
brethren. After all, there is nothing that riles up the MAGA base of
supporters like the three Gs
- God, guns,
and gays!
Enough
with the facetiousness, you say! I concede that I may have gone
somewhat overboard, but truth be told, there are LARGE kernels of
truth in my assessments. More truthful is the fact that many
Americans, regardless of how they define themselves politically, are
in considerable unison that kitchen table issues
(https://news.gallup.com/poll/1675/most-important-problem.aspx)
such
as
job training,
affordable education,
a fair and modern immigration
system,
systemic and systematic racism,
entrepreneurial opportunities,
a safety net for those who may need
one for varied reasons (especially children),
environmental issues,
living wage,
health care, etc.
all
rank high on the list of crucial factors that American society is
currently dealing with.
Now
back to those who have decided to blame the left for the
less-than-desirable showing earlier this month. The fact is that many
provisions on the ballots in many states championed by liberal
activists did in fact win. For example,
Such triumphs do not mean that all
is well in Progressiveland, so to speak. The fact is that messaging
can be and is often crucial to political success, for good or ill;
slogans like “defund the police” and labels like “socialism”
can have an adverse effect on how certain voters react to your
arguments as well as positions. Research shows that more than a few
people consider socialism to be synonymous with communism.
Frightening visions of Mao Se Tung and Hugo Chavez emerge within
their minds. Understandably, given the ruthlessness, unrestrained
oppressive tactics, and horrific levels of tyranny these dictators
imposed upon their citizens, coupled with vehement tyranny,
lacerating limitations, and failures of communism, no aspirational
person should or would want to live under such a repressive system.
Reforming the police or reviewing
police culture (which is actually what “defunding the police”
means) are slogans that are likely to be more psychologically
palatable to most Americans of different race, gender, social, and
economic groups. Again, like it or not, messaging matters! Period!
Now that Joe Biden has been elected
the 46th president of the United States and Kamala Harris has
shattered another glass ceiling in her admirably successful career by
becoming the first Black, Indian, and female vice-president, those of
us who wish them a successful transition and tenure can only hope
that they will make every real and genuine effort to deliver to the
voters who made it possible for them to inhabit the two most powerful
offices in the world. One thing is for certain: Hundreds of millions
of people will be watching to see if they can do so.
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