Wall Street Journal opening paragraph:
Rob Sand could almost pass for a Republican: He frequently quotes the Bible, owns two SIG Sauer handguns, goes deer hunting each fall and asks audiences to sing a few verses of “America the Beautiful” at the start of campaign events.
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| Rob Sand |
Rob Sand is running for governor of Iowa.
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| Ruben Gallego |
Ruben Gallego is a U.S. senator from Arizona. He told The New York Times that Democrats were focused on pleasing comfortable Americans. Issues like pronouns and green vehicle regulations were not central to the lives of working Americans, especially Hispanics.
We're more stuck on appeasing a group of people who don't actually represent any constituencies than on taking care of people's real lives,
Every Latino man wants a big-ass truck. There's nothing wrong with that. "You get your troca, start your own job, and you're going to become rich, right?" These are the conversations we should be having.
Troca is Spanish for pickup truck.
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| James Talerico |
James Talerico is a state representative in Texas. Talerico has developed a national reputation based on video clips of him challenging Republican policy and policymakers in Texas. He is articulate and earnest -- table stakes for an aspiring politician -- but noteworthy for the direction of his opposition. He supports liberal policies. He is openly Christian and he challenges Republican policy by weighing policies against Christian values. He projects an exceptionally clean cut, good-Christian-man look. He gets rebroadcast and shared on social media, here on Facebook:
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Christian nationalists are not interested in legislating Christian values. They are only interested in legislating Christian dominance. Christian nationalism is putting prayer in schools and taking free lunches out.
All three of these men confound the stereotype idea of the modern Democratic politician.
The Wall Street Journal is an unreliable narrator when it comes to describing Democrats; they are, after all, a conservative, pro-business Rupert Murdoch property. But they get at something true and important about the Democratic brand. The Democratic brand is widely understood to be the party of upscale office workers in coastal cities. The archetype Democrat is a "childless cat lady," in the words of JD Vance. To continue the caricature, she drives an electric car or hybrid, she has an advanced degree in something, she is not a church-goer, and she thinks the most significant issue facing America is climate change. She donates to public radio and television, drinks wine and not beer, and she applauds land acknowledgement statements being read before public meetings. She flies a Rainbow Flag. I suspect most of my readers will consider that a ridiculously narrow description/caricature of a Democrat, but it would not seem ridiculous to a great many Americans.
Democratic voters are in a critical period now. They are slowly being introduced to potential leaders of the Democratic party. Somebody will represent the new brand. Gavin Newsom has stepped up. JB Pritzker is slower to the gate, but he is making a move.
Democrats would be well served if they opened their minds to the idea that a Democrat might be a church-going Christian who is proudly patriotic and happy to say that America is a great country without preceding it with a subordinate clause apologizing for its history of racism, imperialism, and ecological degradation. Some values and policies that became standard orthodox thinking for Democrats -- and indeed required beliefs to be a Democrat in good standing -- are have run ahead of public opinion. What works in Bernie Sanders' Vermont and AOC's Queens district doesn't work in purple American polities. It turns the Blue Wall red. Trump is the manifestation of the backlash.
If Jesus were alive and walking the earth today as an American voter, wouldn't he support compassion for the poor, the immigrant, and the sick? And wouldn't he be disgusted by Donald Trump?
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9 comments:
"Every Latino man wants a big-ass truck" - yikes, you might want to dial that back a bit...
This is all well and good, however I think Democrats who opportunistically lurch right are going to find themselves losing primaries. I'd rather see us stand firm on science, guns and abortion and let MAGA self destruct.
Democrats facing crisis as more than 2M voters leave party in four years: analysis
Yes he would be disgusted by DJT and yes he would support for most everyone.
How about 'A fair day's wage for a hard day of work'
Democrats need to focus on bread and butter issues for the working class. Universal paid sick leave, fighting against wage theft, a fair minimum wage, adequate housing at a reasonable cost, truly affordable and available health care.
The bottom half of American society is struggling, working hard but unable to afford an unexpected $500 expense. The Democrats should take notice of them.
Peter correctly identifies the upcoming fight for the control of the Democratic Party. The cultural left is not going to give that up without being defeated in a major fight. Apparently so far, the defeat the party suffered in 2024 is nowhere near enough.
The only ray of hope I see so far is that many on the environmental left seem to be getting over their hysterical and irrational opposition to nuclear power.
Yes, Jesus would disapprove of Donald Trump on many levels. That is what’s so disappointing to me in regards to people of faith supporting him. I consider myself a Christian, so not all Christians support him.
Border enforcement, social welfare or otherwise, one of Jesus’ most telling messages was “Render unto Caesar [duly constituted temporal law] what is Caesar’s”. Trouble is, “Caesar” included Caligula and Nero.
The day Democrats decided it was okay for Dudes (who still are required to register for Selective Service btw) to enter/inhabit privates spaces designated for girls and women is the day the Dems lost their minds and many American voters.
Jesus referred to the Pharisees (Trump Republicans) as hypocrites, whitewashed tombs and a brood of vipers.
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