The Uncertain Future of the Democratic Party
The future of the Democratic Party is unknown, with the rift between radicals and moderates widening. Many Democrats are becoming more radical and partisan, as are many Republicans. Others are calling for more moderate, bipartisan policies in an attempt to unite both sides.
It’s no surprise that as Republicans move right, Democrats move left. Electing Trump and the ensuing policies caused many Democrats to become more leftist in retaliation. Many Democrats feel some issues are non negotiable, and don’t have the time or capacity to be compromised on. For example, climate change, called a hoax by Donald Trump, and generally not a concern to the Republican party, is becoming irreversible. Other issues, like police brutality, are pressing issues that both sides have taken radical stances on. On the far left, some radical Democrats demand the police be ‘defunded’ (in reality, more of a reallocation of funds), while on the far right, radical Republicans are convinced “blue lives matter”.
Furthermore, Democrats themselves are divided on how to handle issues. For instance, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent voice from the far left, is in support of more socialist ideals, like Medicare for All. Abigail Spanberger, a moderate Democrat from Virginia, is not, and said in a leaked audio, “We need to not ever use the word ‘socialist’ or ‘socialism’ ever again,”. Democrats recognize this divide but have different opinions on the issue. Ocasio-Cortez is determined to keep Democrats from fighting amongst themselves, citing unity as the way to defeat Republicans. However, Spanberger and others more toward the center are less concerned with the unity of the Democratic party, but with the unity of the nation. Representatives like Spanberger fear losing moderate Republican voters who oppose Trump, but still vote Republican, while representatives like AOC feel that the Party can’t settle, and must stay true to their ethics.
With many Democrats not backing down and presenting liberal, sometimes even socialist agendas and policies, there was fear even moderate Republicans would vote for Trump in the 2020 election. However, the Democrats put up a moderately liberal nominee, who eventually became President Elect: Joe Biden. Biden, before he’s even taken office, is calling on Democrats to compromise with Republicans in an attempt to bring the nation together. However, it seems radicals on both sides are digging their heels in. Trump supporters continue to defend him and claim he really won the election. Many leftists didn’t even want to elect Biden in the first place because of his moderate views, and only did so because he was the least awful candidate. “Settle For Biden” is an organization and mantra popular among far left Democrats who reluctantly voted him into office. Many leftists are hoping now that Biden has been elected, he’ll be able to make more progressive policies and the changes they really want to see. However, some fear that the need for reelection will overcome the moral obligation to make much needed differences.
As of now, Biden has not chosen his entire cabinet, but has announced many picks. His cabinet is telling of how the administration will be run, and how the Democratic Party will be represented at the highest level. As he’s trying to unite the nation, Biden’s picks aim to please Democrats, as well as be tolerable to moderate Republicans. This ends up upsetting far left and far right radicals, as neither is willing to compromise. As the Biden Administration is impending, Democrats are fighting amongst themselves on how it should be run, and in general, the Party’s fate. The future of the Democratic Party is in turmoil, and only time will tell what direction it’ll go in.
