Unnerved by Responsibility, Democrats Signal a Yearning for the Minority

Our country’s pathetic excuse for an “organized” left, the Democratic Party, has once again begun to disappoint, much to the dismay of those that the party so vigorously claims to represent. Although time and again the Democrats have promised massive change and reform for America, the postwar and post-FDR left in the United States is somehow still reeling from an identity crisis that subverts its platform when viewed in the limelight. Aside from the four years of Carter and the twelve years of Reagan (ok, and Bush), the presidency has pretty much followed the eight-year cycle of alternating stewardship shared by the Democrats and the Republicans since the end of the Second World War. Every four years, Americans dutifully head to the polls to reelect the incumbent president or, if his term limit has expired, the opposition’s candidate. The independence of the executive branch from the legislative branch, however, means that the party voted into power in Congress may not be the president’s. The power shifts in both houses and in the presidency all move at different speeds, thereby creating yet another bump in the road towards positive progress on any administration’s or any Congress’s agenda, and while it may provide a feeling of stability, it isn’t worth the trade. I won’t make the mistake of declaring that I know everything about why our system is the way it is, but I will discuss a few of the reasons why I believe that the Democratic Party has such a poor record, both in office and during elections.

First and foremost, it is somewhat easier politically to be a conservative than it is to be a progressive, in that the progressive agenda is a harder sell than the conservative’s agenda. Republicans make promises of security, jobs, tax cuts, reductions in government, and riches that appeal to human nature, which desires short term gains that seem much more tangible than those made by Democrats which ensure stability, the social safety net, regulation, societal progress, and governmental expansion. Additionally, the solutions offered by Republicans generally favor the market, which to many, especially those with interests in the prosperity of business, seem to be very appealing. On the surface, market solutions do look like fairly appetizing propositions: business is positively benefited and the government often does not need to grow further, and if it does, it is frequently only in a regulatory capacity. On the other side of the aisle, the Democrats often come up with solutions that involve tax hikes, the expansion of government, and strict regulation of any companies that may currently be in the industry. As a result, when public opinion turns against the items proposed by the Democrats, which it often does when the details are released, instead of remaining true to their ideals, they squirm and flee to the comforts of appeasement and compromise. Nobody likes half-assed solutions to anything, and the Democrats have repeatedly shown their commitment to being the champions of half-assery. The Democrats have a bad habit of crippling their own proposals in the name of “bipartisanship,” then shriveling up and offering excuses when they are called out on their failures. When the Republicans are in charge, they tend to exude a mentality of “we don’t give a shit if you vote with us, but this is how we’re going to do it.” Thus, no matter how detrimental their legislation may be to the American people, it passes, because the effort is properly financed (by lobbyists and special interests) and properly defended, even if the defense is flawed. While in the past I have stated that I thought the Democrats were finally starting to grow a backbone, I think now more than ever that once again, they have betrayed the vast majority of their constituents with promises, no matter how well intended, that they repeatedly fail to uphold.

Next, the composition of the constituencies of the political parties and their respective representation within the parties means that one is more unified than the other. It is not a secret that the parties in the American political system have rarely been completely unified ideologically, but as the ideologies of the American electorate have evolved and branched off into new and distinct beliefs, their representation in Congress has struggled to transform within the ever-tightening confines of our two party system. Although both the Democrats and the Republicans represent a much wider array of interests than many other modern political parties as a result of the aforementioned confines, the Republicans most definitely have the upper hand when it comes to any semblance of ideological unity. The Republicans tend to represent the wealthy, the conservative, the libertarians, and the religious right, and their representatives for the most part agree on the importance of national security, free markets, low taxes, and minimal government intervention. Additionally, their preferred method of legislative application is via the market, and they often oppose any extension of civil liberties, no matter how much they may rail about personal freedom. The Democrats constituent base is comprised of the poor, the workers, minorities, the disenfranchised, the progressives, and environmentalists, and their representatives can usually agree on the importance of ensuring access to education, health care, and employment, equal rights, regulated markets, and the role of the government as a player in society. The way the Democrats envision their ideals being implemented, however, is where the problems begin. The ideology of the Democratic Party is in fact severely fragmented, and its members, while agreeing on the finished product, lack a cohesive platform that addresses both the problems and their solutions in a unified manner. The three main political ideologies within the Democratic Party are the traditional leftist train of thought, liberalism in the center, and a mix of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism on the right. These divides are thrust into the spotlight whenever controversy over a proposal arises, as evidenced most recently by the omnipresent health care debate, and are a major obstacle for the Democratic Party to overcome if they ever hope to achieve a significant portion of their legislative goals. They continue to act as though they need to behave cautiously, when in reality, they have a dominant majority and a popular president for the first time in decades. If the party’s members continue to squander every opportunity afforded to them by the American electorate by losing sight of the end game and getting hopelessly caught up in the details, eventually they will destroy themselves with their incessant infighting over their differences. Until the Democrats can offer a more unified front, their attempts at progress will continue to be stymied by the solidarity of the Republicans.

While I will continue to support the president and his initiatives, I feel that the Democrats must fundamentally alter their playbook if they wish to remain electorally competitive and successful in passing legislation. The Democrats have won the gold medal and then pissed their pants on the podium a few too many times for my tastes, and until they realize the error in their ways, the people will continue to be let down by Republican governments that cause horrific economic problems, and the Democratic governments that keep prescribing band-aids to an economy that needs open-heart surgery.