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Democrats, Once The People’s Party, Have To Figure Out Who They Are And Who They Represent
By Frank LoBuono
Like Trump or not, he and his GOP colleagues managed to turn a predicted neck-and-neck “tossup” race take into a rout. Trump handily won the Electoral College, and he defeated Harris by a significant margin in the popular vote. The GOP now has complete control of all three branches of the Federal Government.
Most people who opposed him, me included, found his personal messaging tactless and crude to say the least. For years, he has made statements that smacked of fear and loathing, calling Mexican immigrants “rapists”, suggesting a Muslim ban, mocking a disabled reporter, personally attacking four-star generals, and more. He certainly appeared increasingly unhinged.
But the rest of the GOP stayed on message and drove it home: ignore the man behind the curtain; we will give you what you desire most, for example, a secure border, safety in your homes by reducing crime, and a strong economy.
Obviously, it worked. It was the right message for most Americans.
On the other hand, as has been the case especially in recent years, the Democrats decided to settle on a message that’s long on esoteric concepts and short on the practical solutions that most Americans seem to want to hear. Gender equality, women’s rights, and equal protection under the law, their core principles are admirable ideals that belong in any righteous society. But for many in this country that’s all well and good after they have a roof over their heads and a meal on the table. They are concepts that are more ethereal in nature and, therefore, hard to grasp for the average American. In other words, they do not resonate the same with working-class people vs those with a higher degree of education.
Here is a recent Facebook post that I found telling: “People voted for an improved daily economy for working class people. Daily living expenses are unmanageable for so many. Milk, eggs, bread, mortgage, taxes, rent… I’m not saying I think the GOP will rectify the situation, but this is the sentiment here out in the USA that I encounter. Wall Street is great, but the kitchen table is where the stress on families is.”
The “average” American has changed, too. How we consume news and information has been rapidly and forever altered by the Internet and all the good and evil that comes with it. It becomes even more important that we understand it takes vigilance and, yes, a little effort, to stay informed and not go down the rabbit hole of the plethora of mis and disinformation. It takes an educated populace to make informed decisions. And, quite frankly, in recent years, instead of prioritizing education we’ve become almost totally consumer based. About 54% of Americans between 17 and 74 read at the 7th grade level. We’ve come to worship fame and other frivolous elements of society like exploitative TV programs, paying too much attention to people and things that are simply not that important (or shouldn’t be).
This is where the tag of so-called “East/West Coast elitism“ comes into play. As predicted, the large populations located in New York and California, states with a highly educated populous, voted for Harris and against Mr. Trump. However, even in these reliably blue regions, fewer voted blue, indicating that Democrats have lost their footing in bastions of liberalism. The post-election numbers show Democrats lost traction with key constituents like Blacks (mostly black men), Latinos, and, even young voters. Throw in the “battleground States” voting for Trump in near record numbers and you had a recipe for disaster for virtually all the Democratic candidates. Even in areas where registered Democrats far exceed those registered as Republicans, the GOP gained control.
The Democrats have lost touch with their base — the working class American. And this has been happening for some time now.
The Democrats have been sending the wrong message.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) last week accused the Democratic Party of largely ignoring the priorities of the working class and pointed to that as the biggest reason for why they lost control of the White House and Senate.
“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.”
Trump’s resounding victory defied logic to many – but not most. He won despite the odds. To say he did so because the entire country is misguided or stupid or racist is just too simple.
One thing that I do know is now is not the time for ringing one’s hands in despair or throwing them in the air in frustration. Considering the odds, and many of the changes promised by the new Trump administration, now is the time for even greater vigilance and participation in the messy process we call Democracy. Democrats can dig in their heels and say, but their message is so ugly and ours is SO worthy and go on losing elections. But that’s lacking a critical component in any future campaign: being able to listen to what the voters are telling us. So there’s a choice: wallow in an embarrassing defeat or they can refine themselves as The Peoples’ Party, a mantle they once wore proudly.
Failure is not an option.
Frank LoBuono is the host of BeingFrank, a podcast featuring commentary, dissent, opinion.
