Democrats are the Party of the Coastal Elites and that Must Change If Democrats Ever Plan to Win Everywhere

Ignoring the political realities of more conservative-leaning states are one of the reasons Democrats lose where they should win.

For starters, let’s get somethings out of the way: I’m a pro-choice Democrat who lives in a city in a state that turned red for Trump in the general election last year, I’ve been registered as a Democrat since I was first able to register to vote and I’m a person of color who values economic issues and social issues. Oh, and I also support a woman’s right to choose whether or not she has an abortion.

Even so, I was still pretty shocked at the hypocrisy Democrats have shown in effectively throwing Democrat Heath Mello under the bus for his past actions and his personal beliefs regrading abortion. Nevermind that there currently are anti-choice Democrats in congress. Nevermind that Harry Reid himself couldn’t support a pro-choice legislation that would have supported Roe v. Wade because of his personal beliefs. Remember Tim Kaine? I do, especially his position on abortion and past legislative actions that restricted it. Given that there are quite a few notable Democrats who don’t support abortion, Mello isn’t special in this regard. He is, however, one of the few Democrats Senator Bernie Sanders has chosen to support.

Mello is running for mayor of Omaha, a decidedly white city, which leans conservative. He came within 3 points of winning against incumbent Jean Stothert in the first round of this race, so he has a pretty good chance of winning. It’s very notable how willing Democrats are willing to lose this race by not asking pro-choice activists on the ground in Nebraska how they feel about Mello. Or bothering to be accurate on what exactly the anti-choice bill that Mello supported in 2009 actually requires.

Upon examination of these crucial facts, the issue of Mello’s position on abortion becomes less black and white. In fact, the outrage Democrats are apparently experiencing, isn’t the case in Nebraska Democratic party:

“I wish the national organizations would respect the relationship we have been nurturing, instead of just assuming we don’t know what we’re doing,” Jawed-Wessel told me afterward. “Then they might have reframed their statement in a way that added momentum to someone we consider a strong ally.”

So Mello actually supported a compromise bill in 2009 which only requires Physicians to tell women they can get an ultra-sound. And many pro choice women in Nebraska know about his personal beliefs and record and still support him! Imagine that. Maybe this is a little hard to understand when you approach issues from a lens that insists that the only positions allowed are for and against. Or if you are living in deep blue states where everyone is an elected Democrat at the state level. But it needs to be understood, because Democratic rigidity to a handful of issues that more conservative people may differ on is holding the party back.

If there’s one map that makes me both angry and disappointed at the party that I’ve been a member of for 26 years and counting, it’s this one:

I’m a blue dot in a red state. I know that we’re not going to win every county in my state by taking an all or nothing attitude. Assuming that all people who have reservations about abortion are terrible people or that people who like owning guns are stuck in the past isn’t a winning strategy in my state. I have enough problems with my representatives at all levels of government not voting the way I want them to. Does that mean we have to give up on abortion rights? No. Does it mean we have to be realistic on what can be achieved when Democrats are the minority at the state level? Yes. Does that mean that we have to listen to constituents and activists on the ground to succeed? Obviously.

I’m a strong believer in real politics, which consists of being honest about your positions and knowing when to work with the people you obviously disagree with to work for the people you represent. This means meeting them in the middle sometimes and not demonizing them automatically because they happen to have a different point of view than you. Instead of insisting that abortion be the solution for all unwanted pregnancies, we could work towards investing in education and real access to contraception. Until all Democrats realize this fundamental reality of politics, we’re not going to start winning everywhere again.