|
The
eminent Harvard legal scholar and historian, Dr. Annette Gordon-Reed,
in her well-received book, On
Juneteenth (2021),
traced the origin stories of America’s development which were
intertwined with slavery and violence against ethnic minorities—those
of Indigenous, Black, Hispanic, and Asian backgrounds—whom we
now refer to as the New American Majority. They were not then or now
viewed as full citizens.
As
their numbers have grown dramatically during the 21st
century, Professor Gordon-Reed notes that “the
degree of racial tolerance among Whites has always been about
numbers,”
regarding America’s ethnic minority groups, especially when
they have advocated for social economic justice, from school
desegregation in the 1950s and beyond; sit-ins, freedom rides, voting
and civil rights in the 1960s; and political representation during
the present day.
To
justify oppression and repression, the White power structure created
a series of origin stories—Big Lies—to explain their
inequitable treatment of their brothers and sisters of darker racial
hues. Collectively, they categorized them as lazy, immoral,
unintelligent, sexually aggressive, and buffoonish, among other
demeaning traits. Books, movies, and the general print and broadcast
media reinforced these features.
After
the Civil War defeat and surrender in the 19th
century, traitorous were resurrected and lionized via statues and
monuments in every region of the nation. Organizations such as the
Daughters of the Confederacy raised millions of dollars to perpetuate
that Big Lie, and their descendants have reinforced and expanded it
for more than a century.
Thus,
it is not surprising that our most recent former President, Donald J.
Trump, had no difficulty crafting his own foundational story about a
fraudulent and stolen election after the voters turned him out and
blamed it on the New American Majority who stuffed ballot boxes and
rigged voting machines with the help of China and Venezuela.
This
fear and loathing of the New American Majority are at the core of the
over 400 bills introduced in 48 states that make it harder to vote
and that are overwhelmingly aimed at low-income voters of color.
Republicans fear that ethnic minorities will take over the nation and
deny them the power and control they feel they rightfully deserve.
Without
labeling it or calling it what it is, they are attempting to
institute a not-so-subtle form of political apartheid. To their
credit, Republicans have pulled together their rank and file elected
officials at every level of government to push this initiative, while
Democrats, who control the three elected branches of the federal
government, are fighting among themselves with slim majorities in the
House and Senate.
The
GOP currently has 27 governors to the Democrats 23. Republicans also
control 30 of the 50 state legislatures that will redraw
Congressional districts before the 2022 midterm elections. Democrats
hold 220 House seats while Republicans hold 211 with four vacancies.
Since the GOP will have the primary responsibility for constructing
Congressional district lines, it appears to have the upper hand in
becoming the House majority in 2023.
Coupled
with the reality of a 50-50 split in the Senate, with Vice President
Harris casting the deciding vote if the Democrats can get their 50
members on the same political page, Democrats are having little
success of late.
Republicans
are being aided by the growing enmity between Democratic moderates
and progressives over the Party's stance on issues, e.g., the
progressive push to defund the police amidst a spike in crime; a
multi-trillion-dollar budget for an expansive brick and mortar
infrastructure plan, climate change, and human infrastructure bill;
and the abolition of the Senate filibuster.
Although
the aforementioned issues are driving Democrats apart, the
Republicans are piling on with other divisive concerns: critical race
theory (which lumps any White grievance under its banner);
transgender rights; and abortion rights to solidify their base.
Democrats seem unaware of the effects their bickering is having on
the voters who gave them trilateral power in 2020.
Democrats'
apparent naiveté about the political process they are
intricately involved in boggles the political imagination. Is it
impossible for them to go to their House and Senate caucuses and cut
a deal they can live with? Can President Joe Biden call Speaker
Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and key progressives and
moderates together to hash out the sticking points of their
disagreements?
Time
is running out as the 2022 midterms are around the political corner.
There is no time to waste. The Democrats’ House Squad,
initially made up of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar,
Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, have now been joined by newly
elected Reps. Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Mondaire Jones, and Marie
Newman; the Progressive Caucus; and moderates are heading for a
political cliff with their eyes wide open.
The
liberal and progressive New Majority voter base from New York City
sent them a message last week when Eric Adams, a Black ex-New York
City cop, won the mayoral Democratic primary, running on a law and
order platform along with police reform. The House Squad needs to
recalibrate its political message to be more inclusive of its base.
The
communication cannot be clearer that the increasingly left-wing
orientation of the Democratic House Squad and House and Senate
Progressives is not one that will enable Democrats to hold their
majorities in either the House or the Senate, which will make
President Biden and Vice President Harris lame ducks during the last
two years of their term.
|
