Dem Leadership Needs A Plan. This One Will Work.
It’s no wonder that respect for the Democratic party is at an all time low. Faced with a blatant assault on the rule of law in America, by an openly declared “dictator on day one,” the Democrats’ response has been worse than underwhelming. Leadership in the party, if you can call it that, has resembled a deer in the headlights, save for a few brave souls, toughing it out as individuals, striving to be an example — Chris Murphy, Bernie Sanders, Jasmine Crockett, Gavin Newsom and AOC, to name a few. But that’s the problem, it’s just a few. A few out of hundreds of Democrats elected to Congress, apparently unable to muster a coordinated response to the existential threat facing our democracy.
There appears to be zero coordination on strategy anywhere within the party. It’s every man for himself, and most appear to be running for cover. Those few that dare make anything close to bold moves on behalf of the voters are relegated to the sidelines by the media, and left to do nothing but issue statements and fundraise. But why fundraise exactly? In service of what strategy? What is the grand plan that is suppose to inspire Americans, Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans who in their hearts are frightened by the speed at which Trump and his fellow-fascists are eagerly dismantling our democratic institutions?
Perhaps the greatest blunder the Democrats have made since Heir Trump took office, is to have missed the opportunity to show up alongside voters during the No Kings Day protests last weekend. Snatching proverbial defeat from the jaws of victory, it was a gargantuan missed opportunity. But it’s not too late to avoid repeating that mistake. The opportunity still exists going forward, assuming Dem leadership can wake up from its collective coma.
The protests are not likely to stop. Far from it. Americans that did participate in No Kings Day got to see first-hand that the movement against Trump and the Grand Old Politburo is growing. And it’s not going away. There will be another national protest, probably soon, despite the fact that mainstream media all but ignored the first one. And besides the fact that it was the largest one-day protest in the 250-year history of our nation, the next protest will likely be larger and harder to ignore. That’s where the opportunity lies for Democrats in office, if any of them are paying attention. Their next move should be obvious, but let me state the obvious:
Next time there’s a national day of protest against Trump and his regime, every single Democrat in the U.S. Senate and every Democrat in the House of Representatives must join the protest in his/her home town. They must spend the days leading up to the protest letting the local and national media know that they will be out there with all the other Democratic leaders, standing with their constituents, in-person, in the streets, on camera, being interviewed as the leaders that they promised they would be. They need to get out in front of the parade and command the news cycles.
If all the Democrats in Congress coordinate their efforts, they will be the focus of the nation’s attention, not only on the day of the protest(s), but on the days before and after. It will become impossible for the media not to cover the event comprehensively and give both the Democratic leadership and the protests the attention they rightfully deserve. Even the NYT won’t be able to hide in the bushes, hoping that no one notices their lack of coverage, as they did last weekend in a most cowardly fashion.
Every local news outlet, every national cable network (including FOX), and every pundit will be focused on the fact that there actually IS an opposition party willing to visibly unite with their fellow-Americans and stand up for the well-being of their country. It will be a powerful push-back against the audacity of a regime willing to handcuff a U.S. Senator for asking a question, or make snide jokes of the brutal assassination of elected Democrats on the day of the most recent protest — obvious attempts to discourage elected representatives and citizens alike from joining in the massive efforts to reject the tyranny at hand.
Most importantly, as a result of the coverage, voters will see for themselves that the Democrats are not a band of feckless do-nothings, issuing forceful press releases and nothing more. Instead, they will see what the late president JFK once coined “profiles in courage.” The Dems will stand out as the real patriots, who ran for office not for the fame or fortunes, but in order to protect the values inherent in the Constitution, which are the very foundations of our republic.
Enough talk, Democratic leadership. Stand up and show up for your ideals, if you still have any. Have the courage to join the millions of Americans who were braver than you were last weekend. Show us that you can coordinate your efforts as a political party. Show us you can execute on an an easy-to-execute strategy. Become the tip of the spear that begins to break the wall of emerging fascism, and demonstrates what real leadership looks like.
You don’t have to raise a bunch of money to do this. You see each other at work. You have each other’s phone numbers. And there aren’t even that many of you to coordinate. It’s as simple as all of you agreeing to show up alongside your fellow Americans on a given day. There are only 45 of you in the Senate and 212 of you in the House. That’s only 257 people, for God’s sake. If you can’t communicate with each other and coordinate your efforts on something this simple, you will go down in history as the most inept political party in U.S. history.
On the other hand, if you get in front of the next parade, you will enliven the national spirit of democracy and grow the momentum to save it, by orders of magnitude. You will inspire and encourage Democrats, Independents and many currently fearful Republicans to show up and join you, and millions of other Americans who refuse to give up on America. You will do it in a way that demonstrates the power of non-violent assembly and the power of ever-increasing numbers.
Who knows, this may be just the start. Showing up in a coordinated manner and seeing the results of your efforts, you may even come up with other out-of-the-box actions you can take going forward, as a coordinated team able think on its feet.
Caucus with each other, design your media game-plan and take charge of the national narrative. Because if you’re not part of the solution right now, you’re definitely part of the problem. And that’s not what you want to be. There’s strength in your numbers, as part of our numbers.
Do your jobs. Act like a team. Make us proud. A nation will thank you. And history will thank you for showing up.
(To participate in extended discussion and a vote, this article also appears on my Daily Kos page)
What a shocking collapse the party has had. I'm stunned.
Maybe those 257 can get together on a Signal chat...? ;)