Joining The Discourse

I loathe the “One Weird Trick for Democrats to Win” discourse. I hate to contribute to it, but I am also getting fed up with its stuckness.

Donald Trump’s win in November was narrow: a 1.5% plurality. This does not set up a requirement for Democrats to reconsider everything they’ve ever done wrong.

The agonizing over the loss and making it seem much bigger than it was (repudiation! mandate!) plays into Trump’s lies about his power. You are giving him power. Stop it. I’m not going to argue the polls about the Democrats’ image. If we can stop fighting and move ahead, that will change.

We are now faced with a different problem than winning votes: Stopping a would-be dictator. Whatever we do now, the environment will be different in November 2026.

Whatever worked to get votes in 2018 may or may not work in 2026. The decadal strategy of triangulation has dragged the Democratic Party too far right already. And we have the military being called out on peaceful protesters.

The political scene is changing rapidly, and far too many players aren’t changing with it. Gavin Newsom is stepping up  as his state is attacked. We need more of that. Just forget the electoral math for now. There are others, and there will be other opportunities for them to step up. We aren’t voting tomorrow. Look at how much has happened since January. We have three more periods that long (longer) before we will vote. Nobody can say now what will win in 2026.

The Democratic Party and those who vote for them include many other groups than cheeto-eating boys living in their mothers’ basements and wishing a sexy and willing girl would appear in their bed.

I have recently been reminded of Stokeley Carmichael’s objection when the women in the civil rights movement suggested that maybe their rights were part of it too.

The only position for women in SNCC is prone.

And now the only position for trans people, according to some of those with the One Weird Trick, is under the bus. Same for anyone who is impaired and might like a little respect. The cheeto-eaters want to say the r-word! And on and on. David Ignatius has a very scoldy column this morning telling the Democrats that if they were smart, they would have been the ones to close the border! Wait a minute. Is the border really closed now? And, um, how about pointing out instead that people who grow and harvest our food, care for our elders and children, provide medical services in rural areas, build small businesses, and generally contribute to the national well-being came across those borders?

We need to appeal to the women who are too busy to vote because they are taking care of children and their parents and holding down a job. To professionals who are now being kicked out of their jobs. To women who have rejected the cheeto-eaters. To the Tik-Tok watchers. Maybe even to the owners of car dealerships. And the cheeto-eaters. But if it’s a choice between the cheeto-eaters and the women who reject them, I know which I’d privilege. We should welcome everyone’s vote, and, more immediately, their help in stopping the would-be dictator.

Seems to me that putting forth a positive and principled position is better for our objectives than sowing hate, but YMMV I guess.

Tactics, of communication and otherwise, are different for different groups! Elected officials will do different things than occasional posters on Bluesky and even than front pagers on a well-known political blog.

JFC, could we please stop slagging people who are on our side? The lockstep talking points of elected Democrats over the past week made them sound fake and out of touch. Note that and move on. Democrats will never all accept that One Weird Trick. Nor should they. Our diversity is our strength. We desperately need solidarity now to stand up to the would-be dictator. When someone does something good, encourage them. DON’T tell them how you would do it better. Demonstrate that better approach. If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all. That’s the least you can do. But we have to enact solidarity with those who share our objective of restoring democratic government.

We have a lot of work to do. Focus.