For Democrats, Honesty Isn’t Easy But It Is Necessary for 2020
The pesky, leftist, shaking things up Democrats are at it again. No, I don’t mean that controversy. Or that other one. Or the time foul language was used. Or the time when capitalism was critiqued. Or the time when someone had the audacity to suggest the S-word (socialism!) has some merits. Or the time political elites decided to work themselves into a lather and pass a meaningless resolution against “hate” under the guise of having a conscience when addressing antisemitism.
This time I am talking about the horror of, well, reflection. Rep. Ilhan Omar raised the issue of destructive policies during the Trump and Obama presidencies with respect to the use of drones and child imprisonment along the United States’ southern border. We can certainly pick apart the similarities and differences between the two leaders in these spaces, but the overall point is that, for her, policy should be the focus and not the packaging. Criticism and evaluation don’t become selective depending on if you’re in in-party or the out-party. She likes and supports President Obama but that does not absolve or insulate him from criticisms and an unfulfilled promise for “change” in all spaces that he oversaw. Fine.
The response to this from many older Democrats was predictable and tiresome: this is unnecessary and is going to ruin 2020. Another young Democrat who does not understand the game of politics that will cost us 2020. TWENTY-TWENTY!
There are two exhausting things about current political coverage that I really do not like: 1) the obsession with presidential elections and 2) the narrative of being narrow in how to engage in politics, particularly older people creating an odd double standard for what they want from younger people.
To the first part, the specter of 2020 means few things happen that are apart from the lens of helping or hurting political outcomes for the highest office. I get that and we know that Democrats are particularly attentive to “electability” (depending on how you ask the question) but how we engage on single news stories and carrying oneself generally are apart from a single minded focus on an election nearly 20 months away. It also means that appeals on policy or raising issues that would be relevant to a given population are put in a secondary position to chasing down some illusion of electability or not pissing off [insert population here]. It’s a de facto shield from a more expansive form of discourse. And it keeps the terms of debate, frankly, in the hands of Republicans. If leaders are timid about discussing a wider range of issues and oppositional parties have decided to label any set of behavior as, say, socialist, you are constantly in a defensive posture instead of outlining and raising credible policy or public appeals on your own terms.
So, when stalwart Democrats lament the Green New Deal or varieties of national health care programs as policies that would turn off voters and invite the dreaded socialism tag, remind them that Barack Obama’s stimulus package and the Affordable Care Act were tagged the exact same thing. And the strategy failed. Also, tell them to learn what socialism is before they repeat a talking point.
The bigger concern is point two and this is a matter of reality hitting baby boomers in the face. There is a constant tone that suggests the youth are going to ruin the election and THEY need to get on board with the party and how things are done. Eh. There is also concern that young people don’t turnout to vote and we need them to do that. Ok. We also just saw huge turnout for the 2018 midterms that, aided by young people, led to Democrats wrestling control away from the Republicans in the House. Between that and two stories a week from unnamed, centrist Democrats complaining about the youth, we have an uneven picture of the needs of the party.
Young people turn out when engaged by campaigns and what engages them is different from others. It’s a generational divide which is not new to the big tent Democrats (see if young people thought Roosevelt was bold enough during the New Deal or if the praise for LBJ on Civil Rights placated the left). It’s familiar and old and it is here. What we cannot have happen is the terms of debate placing the older generation in a constant position of power therefore eliminating their need to adjust.
Democrats need young voters and older voters to win. THEY NEED BOTH! And given that need, not want need, both sides should accept that appeals to win these voters may upset the other side. Younger voters are energized by speaking truth to and about power. That means criticizing people we like on some issues, willfully engaging politically taboo topics, criticizing capitalism, and pushing for strong responses to big problems (see climate change). It means incrementalism will not be a band aid for gaping wounds (minimum wage or out of control college tuition). Young leaders who speak freely and unapologetically will ruffle the old guard but those appeals resonate with young people. This helps bring them into the big tent.
Conversely, big bold ideas may seem unrealistic to older voters. Even worse, advocating for them can make them feel unheard and support politicians that are unelectable. Where the priority for young people can feel like a full tear down of the status quo, older voters want to simply restore stability to what feels like Trump’s chaos. Hearing the left push for bold solutions screams of socialism and they will not support that. Moderation, filtering, and pragmatism in pursuit of Democratic values (and political rules) is the way. This keeps the old guard comfortable. It rewards their years of loyalty.
Ultimately there is give on both sides. The top of Iowa polls shows Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. It’s early and these reflect more name recognition tests, but it is a firm split on where and how the party moves. My only point is this: if you want more young voters to be there, you have to appeal to them and that reality may not feel good. You can’t say “young politicians can’t act in THIS way because they will turn off older voters BUT also young voters should show up regardless of the situation.” It’s not realistic.
Honest conversations about what is needed to win in 2020 or what values you want to espouse need to move beyond asking the youth to behave in one way. There is push and pull on both sides. Honesty isn’t easy as Rep. Omar highlighted over the weekend but it is as important to want it as it is to reject fake news.
