Democrats are devouring themselves, as usual.
Democrats and Republicans are very different, no doubt about it. Unfortunately, the liberals would be in a much better place if they learned some lessons from their antagonists.
The daily dose of Dems in disarray comments is part of the internet diet that not only trolls are feeding to the political ecosystem in social media. The Democrats often contribute, but no one beats the Progressives in this game. Since D.C. media floated the question about Biden’s intention to run for reelection in 2024, with insiders corroborating what a ‘bad idea’ it would be, the debate on whether the Biden administration has been forceful enough has just started. The complaints about the ‘weakness’ go from not having complete control over Manchin and Sinema to Republicans not falling under his authority (a party that refuses to recognize he won the election).
This week the grievances were about abortion rights. The criticism was centered around the slow-motion response by the administration, fueled by the outgoing White House Communications Director’s comments over the weekend that added to the feud between the moderate and progressive wings of the party. This dynamic characterizes the Dems in disarray narrative, and it is a self-inflicted wound. The comparison might seem unfair, but rarely will you see this level of criticism among Republicans. They are the party that sticks together. Just look at them as Trump’s hostages, but with the Stockholm syndrome, perhaps.
The Democratic Party has a much bigger problem, though. The big tent party is not synonymous with a happy family, and the party's diversity is broader than an inclusive racial/ethnic coalition. One of the most frequent mistakes the Democratic Party makes is not only taking for granted Black and Latino/a voters but assuming they are progressives just because social justice benefits them. This also goes to Progressive activists as well. They keep acting as if they represent the majority of the party when the reality is that both Democrats and Republicans are falling behind Independents in party registration, and the most liberal voices in the party seem to ignore they cannot drag the party down their policy path exclusively. The issues are many, and the diverse Democratic/Progressive coalition needs to get it together, now. Like Jonathan Capehart says, Democrats have only one tool: voting.
The Progressive wing says voting is not the answer. This is exactly what Republicans are expecting come November. The Republican minority rule depends on low turnout and Progressives are helping this outcome with their threats. This is not about criticism, that’s fair game, and in politics, it helps to keep a check on public officials. But these are not regular times and Democrats are the only functioning political party in the United States that actually believes in democratic institutions. If Progressives have it their way, this will likely be the last time the country can have a fair election.
