If a two-party democratic system is to be viable, it has to have a basic shared set of facts, values and issues about which people may differ, and should differ, about solutions. At this point in time, however, the United States doesn’t qualify because the American people are obsessed about totally different things depending on their political orientation.
Democrats often ask progressives: how can you say that there’s no difference between Democrats and the Republican party? While there are differences of tone, on the most important issues there is little to no difference in policy. And Congressional votes reflect that.
Republicans are pushing through voter ID and other laws intended to reduce voting among people of color and others more likely to vote Democratic. Democrats are fighting back for obvious reasons. But what if you can’t vote in the first place because you don’t have, for example, a voter ID?
Republicans are obsessively trying to prevent Democrats, particularly blacks, from voting. Meanwhile, Democrats collect those votes but don’t work hard to represent their constituents on the issues that they care about.
Because she criticized Donald Trump for refusing to accept the results of the election, many Democrats supported Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney in her battle to retain her leadership position in the House. Weirdly, they ignored her reprehensible politics, such as the fact that she has never met a war that she doesn’t like. Just another reminder that it’s OK to hate both sides in a fight.
Republican state legislatures have been going hogwild with voter suppression tactics intended to reduce turn out among Democrats, especially blacks. Surely they aren’t finished yet.
Joe Biden is the latest Democratic president to imply that he has all sorts of radical solutions to the extreme problems faced by the country at this time but that they are being blocked by the Republicans. The problem with his argument, however, is that he hasn’t proposed these solutions in the form of legislation.
In negotiations, Republicans hardly have to lift a finger because Democrats negotiate against themselves.
As one would expect, President-elect Joe Biden told the nation that he plans to be a president for every American, including Republicans. Does that unifying message apply to progressives? Not if rumors about his agenda and cabinet are true.
Every candidate attracts unrealistic expectations but the Democratic idea that Joe Biden is going to fix everything that is wrong under Donald Trump has brought magical thinking to a fever pitch. Newsflash: if things get any better, it won’t be much better.
