A Shockingly Radical Proposal For the Democrats

What if they actually ran a campaign that stood for something?

Politicians these days don’t like to take firm, committed stands on issues, especially controversial ones, and there’s a reason for that: They believe if you stand for something, you almost always lose votes, no matter what.

Come out against cannibalism, and they figure there are some few secret pro-cannibal voters somewhere who will turn against you. Okay, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

But not much, and when I look at what’s coming from the Chuck Schumers of the Democratic Party, I foresee campaigns in both this year’s midterms and the next presidential contest that evoke the theme, “Vote for Us — We Aren’t Quite As Bad.”

That’s not going to work, comrades. Even if the behavior and the idiotic policies of the Trump regime finally do them in, which is likely, and people turn to the Democrats in desperation, they won’t have any mandate or staying power if they don’t stand for something. I have sometimes been critical of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who actually gave a rousing and mainly excellent final State of the State address last night.

But she ran on a promise to “just fix the damn roads,” got a mandate for that, and indeed did do a lot to repair the state’s long-neglected streets and highways.

So here’s what I suggest:

Back in the old days, political parties had “platforms,” which were statements of what they stood for. Voters expected them to live up to these. But the stands on issues were downgraded and gradually forgotten as the presidency became mostly a cult of personality.

There were exceptions: When Lyndon Johnson ran for president in 1964, he pledged to create a Great Society that would end poverty in America, and also to legally ensure full civil rights for Black Americans. When he won, he could legitimately claim a mandate for what he wanted to do, and he indeed delivered.

Tragically, he gave in to the national delusion that we had to stop communism everywhere, and his presidency was destroyed by our involvement in the Vietnam War, a conflict we didn’t understand and had no way of winning. Otherwise, he might have gone down in history as having been as great or greater than his hero, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

What if Democrats were to have some kind of convention after the midterms, not to pick candidates but to agree to pledge themselves to four or six basic principles that are needed to save this country?

One should be a pledge to treat everyone with decency and respect, and stop the trash talk that is destroying our politics and our nation. Ronald Reagan had an “eleventh commandment,” which was to speak no ill of another Republican. We should extend that to anyone who practices the same, and shun and refuse to deal with those who behave like Donald Trump has, regardless of party. They should also pledge to extend common decency and respect not just to all citizens, but all Americans.

But we need meaty and substantial proposals too — ones that may even seem a little risky and daring. I think they should include a minimum standard of living and medical care for everyone, something many poorer nations already provide. We should pledge to save Social Security, first by extending deductions to all income, and not cut it off at $184,600, or whatever the latest figure is.

And we need an immigration policy that protects our borders while allowing more legal immigration than we have now, and which provides a path to a permanent green card and eventually citizenship for those already here.

I’d also like to see an expected year or two years national service for all young Americans, military or nonmilitary.

Those need tweaking, and there may be others that should be included, but I am convinced America would respond to an actual program that would make their lives better, and leaders who committed to getting it done.

Remember, even Newt Gingrich’s BS “Contract With America” inspired people to give Republicans control of Congress in 1994.

In any event, it ought to be worth a try, before everything that was great about this country goes down the drain and is lost forever.