Democrats Hone a New Message: Its the Economy, Everyone

[portlander23]

Democrats Hone a New Message: It’s the Economy, Everyone
Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin
New York Times

There is little appetite among most Democrats to substantively revise their stances on issues like abortion, gay rights, gun control and immigration, where trends on the national level continue to favor the party. By constructing a platform focused on an overarching theme of economic fairness, Democrats are hoping to avoid yoking their candidates to a more divisive agenda that could sink them in states like North Dakota and West Virginia, which are crucial to control of the Senate.

This is markedly different from the approach that party leaders have taken over the last eight years, when President Obama defined the party from top to bottom with his personality and policies. Instead, Democrats intend to focus on a sparer agenda of bread-and-butter priorities that can win support from both liberal and moderate officeholders — and appeal to voters just as much in red states as along the two coasts.

Beyond that, they expect wide variance in how officeholders handle Mr. Trump and his agenda, from moderates who seek out accommodation to blue-state leaders who pursue total war. Their emerging message is likely to focus on protecting Medicare and Social Security, attacking income inequality and political corruption, and blocking legislation that might restrict access to health care.

This is worrisome. It's great that the party is getting it that people in the country are hurting and economic justice needs to be on the table, but when I read things like "Democrats are hoping to avoid yoking their candidates to a more divisive agenda that could sink them in states like North Dakota and West Virginia", it sounds like they're willing to look the other way while some members of the caucus throw people and groups under the bus.

That is not only unacceptable, it's learning the wrong lesson. The lesson of 2016 is that economic justice isn't separable from equal rights and social justice. Dropping economic justice made it easier for some portion of Trump voters to ignore his racism.

Here's what Bernie Sanders had to say on this:

The Democratic Party is the party of diversity. We have proudly led the fight against racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and for the rights of immigrants. Especially under a Trump administration, we are not turning back. We are going forward. There can be no compromise on bigotry.

Our job is to expand diversity. We want more women, more African-Americans, more Latinos, and individuals of all ages, colors and creed to be involved in the political process. But to think of diversity purely in racial and gender terms is not sufficient.

Yes, we need more candidates of diversity, but we also need candidates – no matter what race or gender – to be fighters for the working class and stand up to the corporate powers who have so much power over our economic lives. We need all of our candidates to have the courage to stand up to the Koch Brothers, Wall Street, drug companies, insurance companies, oil companies, and fight for working families -- not just the top one percent.

Our rights and economic lives are intertwined. Now, more than ever, we need a Democratic Party that is committed to fulfilling, not eviscerating, Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of racial, social, and economic justice for all.

Not every member of the caucus has to agree on every issue, but basic human decency should be the price of admission. Democrats shouldn't compete for racist voters. They should compete for voters who are in economic distress and are looking for anyone who'll offer them a way out.