Sadly, we have not seen the
Democratic Party really fight for its
constituents in many moons. Working class
people - especially Black and Brown
communities - know a wimp when we see one. The
Dems are not your ride-or-die kind of folks.
Truth is, they’ve mainly left us hanging.
That’s why millions of voters didn’t show up
last November because they felt no one was
showing up for them.
So it was refreshing when t-rump
brazenly told Texas Governor Greg Abbott to
give him five congressional seats, and
California Governor Gavin Newsom shot back,
“we’re gonna punch these sons of bitches in
the mouth.” Newsom meant that figuratively,
but he was more literal when he promised the
racist GOP that he would be fighting fire with
fire. His bold actions brought in an
unsolicited $6 million in one week.
The wannabe dictator announced
he was sending his goons to Chicago to bring
some order. In a unified voice, Mayor Brandon
Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker said hell no.
How this standoff ends remains to be seen. We
hope it’s not a repeat of the Texas Democrats
leaving the state to prevent a vote on the
GOP’s illegal gerrymandering. After selling
all the wolf tickets, they returned to the
state to vote after a whirlwind of presser
opportunities.
Political insiders have reported
that the Democratic Party is spending millions
on how to fix its tarnished image and how to
develop an effective message. I have been
giving them free advice on both for the last
twenty years, and it has fallen on deaf ears.
In addition to growing a backbone and honing a
relevant message, the party must groom viable
candidates to run and win. It must make room
in the party for younger and more radical
elected officials. It must be the party that
truly fights for democracy or think seriously
about changing its name.
Here are two issues whereby I
believe that the Dems can gain some respect
and maybe even win back some voters. People
don’t like their votes being stolen right in
front of their very eyes - which is what the
MAGA gerrymandering will do. People don’t like
occupying bullies on their streets.
With both of these attacks, the
party leadership has not developed a national
strategy to combat the damage that will be
done. Ken Martin, chair of the Democratic
Party, has been mum. The Democratic Leadership
in Congress is mealy-mouthed about the
situation. They haven’t offered any verbal
support to their California and Illinois
colleagues. These folks are threatened by the
likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the
squad. The Democratic elites have treated
Zohran Mamdani like he was the plague.
The redistricting war is a
contentious issue that some political
observers argue will undermine both the
democratic process and the future of the
Democratic Party. The reality is that the
Democrats have been passive about defending
their ground, their values, and their base.
They lack a winning strategy for holding and
expanding their power. We know some are scared
of the dictator in the White House. We know
that some have their hands in the pockets of
corporations and political action committees
that conflict with the people’s agenda. (See
how many of them get AIPAC blood money.) We should
support the ones with some backbone and vision
because they must become the agitators inside
the party to clean house.
The GOP is following no rules,
no ethics, and no morals. The president has
blatantly disregarded protocols, traditions,
and best practices. The constitution is being
shredded, the public coffers are being raided,
and the rule of law is being trampled. There
can be no fair fight under these
circumstances. Democrats must fight to win by
any means necessary.
The Dems have about a year to
prove they are worthy of our consideration.
They must be bodacious and relentless in the
battle to protect this democracy. While MAGA
is “cracking" and "packing," the Dems need to
be smacking and whacking. Figuratively, of
course.
