Democratic leaders have a tendency to play things safe, which is the worst strategy to counter an authoritarian government. That approach has now resulted in record-low approval ratings that should serve as a wakeup call to start fighting back.
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As it turns out, when you tell people that your political opponents are a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law, it’s not enough to be really, really right; your supporters also expect you to do something about it.
Democrats* are finding this out the hard way right now.
Apparently, their voters want them to do more than say “I told you so” while the Trump administration is turning the US into an authoritarian state and kneecapping its economy. Throwing up their hands and proclaiming, “Well, there is nothing we can do about this,” is not a winning strategy for an opposition party.
That’s the main takeaway from a couple of polls that, at first glance, paint a devastating picture for Democrats.
Why only at first glance? Because there is an easy fix, and we’ll circle back to that in a moment.
First, a CNN poll found that the Democratic Party’s favorability rating has reached a new low. A mere 29 percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the party while 54 percent view Democrats unfavorably.
That mirrored the findings of an NBC survey, which found that only 7 percent of voters had a “very favorable” view of the Democratic Party.
Naturally, some leading right-wing voices celebrated these results as a victory for Republicans or a validation of Donald Trump’s policies.
However, if they had read the fine print, they would have realized that these polls show something completely different.
First of all, with a favorability of 36 percent, the GOP is barely more popular. In fact, according to the CNN poll, moderates like Democrats more than Republicans.
Where the Democrats are struggling is with their own base.
Only 52 percent of self-declared liberals have a favorable opinion of the Democratic Party. That is a stunningly low number… and a stark contrast to Republicans, the vast majority of whom feel great about the GOP. That makes sense because countless other polls have shown that they blindly endorse everything Trump does and parrot whatever inane thing comes out of his mouth.
Not Democratic voters.
And that’s the silver lining for them. Because while there is very little room for improvement for Republicans, especially not as long as Trump keeps pursuing unpopular policies that will cause hardships for tens of millions of Americans, there is a very easy way for Democrats to turn these numbers around: Grow a spine and fight back with more than mealy mouthed lamentations that Trump is destroying the country.
It’s tough to blame Democratic voters for having such a low opinion of their “leaders” in Washington. After all, if things are as bad as they appear (and they are), then why aren’t they doing anything about it?
According to the NBC poll, two-thirds of Democrats want their politicians in Washington to stick to their issues even if it means not getting things done. That is a complete reversal from Trump’s first term, when 59 percent of Democrats wanted their leaders to make compromises with the president.
That sentiment is also reflected in the CNN poll. A majority of Democrats believe that their leaders are taking the party in the wrong direction, and they want their party to fight back against Trump’s agenda.
While that seems like an easy solution, Democrats have been struggling with its implementation.
They have consistently dropped the ball — both when it comes to symbolic protests and to meaningful resistance.
For example, their theatrics during Trump’s address to Congress were pathetic.
More importantly, when Senate Democrats had an opportunity to stand up to Republicans and stop their continuing resolution last week, they simply rolled over and capitulated, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) leading the way toward a defeat that rightfully left Democrats everywhere fuming.
One of the main problems of establishment Democrats is that they are so risk-averse. They almost always go with the “safest” candidate and the most milquetoast strategy. Both probably cost them the election last year.
However, that has not deterred the likes of Schumer from continuing on in their unpopular course. They keep playing it safe while Republicans are trampling all over Democrats.
That’s not what all of those in the Trump resistance want to see while the president is tearing down the foundations brick-by-brick at a breakneck pace.
Instead, they are yearning for leadership… and if Schumer can’t provide it, then he should either step aside or be toppled.
Now that would be a bold move… which means it probably won’t happen, and Democrats will continue to wring their hands and say, “I told you so,” while Trump and Elon Musk dismantle the country.
* It should be noted that this applies primarily to national Democrats. Voters are perfectly happy with what their Democratic governors are doing.
In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often humorous analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
