This is getting out of hand. The progressive movement is quickly becoming an albatross around the necks of Democrats in 2020. Democrats most definitely do not need a far-left version of the right’s Freedom Caucus.
Don’t get me wrong. It seems that many (not all) of those on the far left truly believe in their positions while many (not all) on the far right seem to be just political opportunists. Yeah, yeah. I’m obviously biased. But if anyone truly thinks that a majority of far-right “Christian” politicians have actually read the Bible, I have a bridge I want to sell you.
As every Democratic politician in the country throws their hat in the 2020 ring, it seems that many of them are constantly trying to outflank their opponents from the left. This has led to a flood of proposals that are radical by any sane standard. Here’s just a sampling of “progressive” ideas that have been proposed in recent weeks:
- Immediately implement a single-payer health insurance program
- Eliminate the Senate filibuster
- Provide universal child care
- Tax the super-rich at a rate of 70%
- Require the U.S. to be 100% carbon-free in 10 years
I could go on. And each could be a separate blog topic if I felt these ideas deserved the attention. They don’t. A quick move to a single-payer system would effectively kill an industry with annual revenues just south of one trillion dollars; eliminating the filibuster would ensure that whichever party happens to be in power can completely ignore the minority and reshape American democracy entirely at their own discretion; etc.
There’s actually some decent ideas buried in these proposals, but they are largely lost in a morass of nonsense. The more the Democratic Presidential candidates pander to the ultra-progressive crowd, the more ammunition they give Republicans. The GOP has effectively ceded all middle ground; Trump has seen to that. To win the White House, Democrats just need to hold their own turf AND give folks in the middle a reason to either vote for them or at least stay home. The progressive agenda is anathema to that goal and it simply cannot be a litmus test for a Democratic Presidential candidate. The stakes are way too high.
The enthusiasm of progressives is undeniable and their voices need to be heard. The problem is their approach. If they are serious about their objectives, they should initially concentrate on taking control of Congress — and even that path decreases Democrat’s chances of gaining legislative seats that could prove useful in limiting Republican damage. However, progressives must at least understand that without Congressional backing of their agenda, an extremely progressive President – unelectable in the first place – would be largely useless if he/she somehow managed to actually win.
Most elections are decided in the center of the political spectrum. Leaning to the left is more than okay and is quite reasonably expected; falling off the left side is insane. There is much that Democrats need to restore in America after the Trump-led devastation. There is likewise much progress to be made in the center on issues that enjoy massive popular support. My vote? Let’s do that.