Huddle Up, Political Left! Time To Get Your Head In The Game
Over the past few days, I’ve watched an argument escalate on Facebook about whether or not people can wear pussy hats to a protest of the Westboro Baptist Church. Angry rhetoric flies on either side and division ensues. The argument itself occurs squarely between the events of Charlottesville and Trump’s incendiary rally in Arizona. At the same time, we’ve begun to see the first attack ads coming out of the GOP. This is only the beginning of a brutal political battle and our democracy hangs in the balance. If you are engaging in infighting, this is your wake up call. I don’t care where you fall on the political spectrum of the left, nor do I care what terms you use to define yourself. We are all threatened by the same opposition — and it’s not each other. If you want to win, you must face certain realities.
This level of division on the left is a new phenomenon. Make no mistake, it was planned and cultivated. Many have picked up their own torches in the fight because it’s simply easier to be hostile to each other than to fight the real enemy. Reject that inclination because weakening ourselves only empowers the GOP. Remember what it means to be on the left. Democrats are the ‘big tent’ party. We are united as a coalition of different groups with different ideologies that seek equality and justice for all people. This is very different from the GOP. They are an ideological party. They expect uniformity and obedience on sociopolitical positions. Their constituents and legislatures DO vote with a hive mind — that should be painfully clear even to those new to politics.
There are no purity or litmus tests for the political left. There never has been. We don’t demand that everyone holds the same opinions and ideals. Yes, we have a party platform that constituents decide by majority — and it is reasonable to expect that majority votes by Democrats in Congress will reflect that — that doesn’t mean there won’t be outliers. That also doesn’t mean that everyone has to agree from the start about the form a policy will take.
Universal healthcare is a party position — the idea that healthcare is a right and should be equally available to all. It is reasonable to expect candidates to be supportive of universal healthcare legislation and against the GOP’s repealing of existing protections. It is not reasonable to expect all candidates to support Medicare for All as the only option. Further, having doubts about a particular universal healthcare system doesn’t mean you’re not progressive. Being a conservative means you’re not progressive — wanting less government, deregulation, and removal of social safety nets.
This also matters on the ground in regular activism. Remember the pussy hat fiasco? We can support each other, stand up for one another, fight fascism together and work toward common goals and still be different. We can be appreciative and respectful of those differences. We can educate and inform about our differences without being divisive and accusatory.
So, if we’re clear that the left isn’t (and has never been) meant to be a hive mind, let’s move on to some other realities that are critical to the battle ahead.
- The ONLY way we are stopping Trump and the GOP is by flipping Congress at midterms. Even if, by some slim miracle, GOP rises to the occasion and impeaches him we are still dealing with Pence, Ryan and McConnell. They will continue to strip away everything we’ve worked for, no matter how hard we resist.
- Any Democrat is better than a Republican. Even moderate Democrats vote primarily along party lines. The more blue seats you have in Congress the better.
- Congress people represent their district and state. That is their battleground and they know it. It isn’t about your personal politics, especially if you’re a blue dot in a red state. In the end, it’s just math. They have to appeal to the largest amount of people. If they lose, GOP wins and we all lose. And, no, there is no secret majority in red districts that have been voting Republican because the Democrats haven’t been progressive enough.
- We cannot afford to lose any sitting Democrats. Period. This is not the cycle for it, no matter how ‘meh’ you feel about them. We have races that are in toss-up already.
- Get involved, donate and volunteer. I can’t stress enough how important these midterms are. Apathy is what landed us in this position. We took our hands off the wheel. The GOP didn’t. They raise more money, have a consistent ground game, and they show up to vote. We need resources and boots on the ground. We need to engage, protect, register and mobilize voters.
Look at the amount of damage that has been done in 6 months of a Trump administration. Look at what the GOP has allowed to happen to our country. There is no time for blame, infighting or self-inflicted wounds. There is only one opponent and we will only win with solid strategy and a united front. Work together to empower the left with a Democratic majority. That’s the only way it happens.
