By Collen O’Connor
Democrats need to outrun the “raw sewage flooding the public square,” that former President Obama cited in a recent speech.
Seriously, Democrats need a winnable “three-word,” Trump-like campaign slogan, akin to James Carville’s, “It’s the economy, stupid,” to avoid massive losses come November.
Three words seem to be the maximum allowed for memory retention in the metaverse of disinformation, lies, and depravity now dominating the social media and some fake news outlets.
The Republicans only have “fear” to drive their voters to the poll. Think: caravans of immigrants at the border; inflation; omnipresent homeless in the streets; random acts of mayhem; crime; forest fires; assaults on the capital, etc.
The Republicans have lots of campaign ammo. All the Democrats need to do is avoid the “stupid” trap. A trap that energizes the angry Trump votes and independents to vote.
For example, just avoid taking on incendiary items before the 2022 election. Wait a bit. Tackle them later.
Here goes a simple idea. Three words to the seriously imperiled Democratic majority in the House the Senate and Executive Office suite.
“Don’t Do Stupid.”
First, what is the rush to do stupid things before the November election? Can’t you just wait, delay, or follow the Trumpian go-to formula and put it in the black hole of the federal courts?
Let the judges take the hit. The 6-3 conservative Supreme Court will side with the GOP anyway.
Send the most incendiary items into legal limbo.
Why attack the most popular Trumpian Items and why now?
For example, Title 42:
“Title 42 is a U.S. Code that relates to public health and welfare…which can prohibit the entry or “introduction” of non-citizens in the interest of public health if there is a “quarantinable communicable disease” in a foreign country and “serious danger” that it can be introduced into the United States.”
Read Covid-19 pandemic.
The border immigration surge (so prominently featured in news spreads) has been corralled for the last two years. You remember the scenes. Remember the fear?
Just avoid taking on incendiary items before the 2022 election. Wait a bit. Tackle them later.
Do what Republicans do best. Stall. Don’t legislate.
Next up in the class of “stupid.” Student loan forgiveness.
Seriously, already several Democrats have jumped ship on this idea. Why? Because it is not just stupid. It is also not fair and, as Senator Mitt Romney (who voted to convict Donald Trump) argued, it is a sign of desperation.
What’s next Romney asks?
“Other bribe suggestions: Forgive auto loans? Forgive credit card debt? Forgive mortgages? And put a wealth tax on the super-rich to pay for it all. What could possibly go wrong?”
This from a Republican who voted to convict Trump.
Many Democrats are already breaking ranks on this “stupid” item. More damning for the campaign, how is this fair to those millions of graduates that paid off their loans over the last 10 or 20 years?
Those students who worked odd jobs (while going to college); were responsible enough not take out ridiculous loans with ridiculous interest rates; saved up and faithfully paid their debts; why aren’t they entitled to the same “bribe?” Shouldn’t they get “reparations?”
Go figure how this is even remotely popular in an election year.
Elizabeth Warren isn’t the only Senator warning the Democrats that the “House is on fire.”
Stupid. There is no other word for it.
Finally, there is the Biden administration’s phase out the incandescent lightbulbs championed by the trump administration.
The Department of Energy said the move will save consumers money on their electricity bills, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to climate change.
Correct and well intentioned, but stupid!
With the war in Ukraine, countless refugees, unimaginable bitcoin electricity usage (roughly the annual output of 23 coal-fired power plants, or close to what is consumed by the nation of Finland”; massive forest fires, ocean pollution, and extreme weather events, a new lightbulb won’t save us.
Help. Please, Democrats “Don’t Do Stupid.”
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately, the Democrats are already doing “stupid.” It’s stupid to hand over $6Billion to the nuclear power industry. It’s stupid not to hammer home the fact that GOP’ers sponsored and then tried to cover up the assault of Jan 6 on our democracy. It’s stupid not to highlight all the efforts by Republicans to suppress the vote by Democrats.
Also, many young students these days are totally hamstrung by huge college debts – the kind of debts older members of our society never saw in their youth. So, it’s stupid not to do something about them – and forget what Republican Romney said.
Democrats NEED to INSPIRE young and people of color voters. They won’t do that by hiding behind Romney or follow the most conservative Democratic politicians.
Don’t even know where to begin with how wrong this entire piece is. It’s almost impressive!
1) Loan forgiveness is popular. 60% approval in a December 2021 CNBC poll.
2) “Don’t legislate” is what the Dems are currently doing and well, look at where the polling is.
3) “how is this fair to those millions of graduates that paid off their loans over the last 10 or 20 years?” By that logic, how is the internet fair to people who didn’t grow up with computers, or how are cars fair to people who only had horses? Also, I am one of those graduates who paid off my student loans and I find it fair. We were told college was the way to find financial stability, not add an anchor around our legs.
4) Speaking of anchors, 56% of millennials with student loans have delayed a major life event—including getting married or having kids—because of their debt. Imagine what would happen if those people (who got a degree because they were told it was the smart thing to do) were able to have the same debt-free future as their parents enjoyed?
5) As for those parents (this is from the New Republic and is outdated so I’m sure it’s MUCH worse n0w) In 1979, it took a student working at minimum wage ($2.90 per hour) 385.5 hours to pay off one year of the average college tuition. In 2015, it takes 2,229 hours working at the federal minimum wage ($7.25 per hour) to pay off one year of the average college tuition.
6) When it comes to getting Democrats to vote in November, MITT ROMNEY is definitely the person to listen to lol
7) Please read what life is like for actual young(ish) people, I BEG of you. https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/poor-millennials/
Not sure how you can write a piece saying “don’t do stupid” when in your last column you said Feinstein should not resign.
1. Octogenarians need to step down from leadership
2. Lean into the Disney issue to make Dems the “pro business party”
3. Don’t let GOP take the “free speech” issue to their side
4. Get away from the loan forgiveness stuff – GOP will easily attach “elite” to this because at the end of the day, MOST people do not go to college. This only benefits a certain demographic.
Ah Mayday! Workers’ Rights and Carpe Diem. And forty six years ago, May 1 1976, OBCPG held a rally at the foot of Saratoga for the May 4 election to the first OB Planning Board. We won 8 seats to 6 so the community of OB stopped the Miami Beach West Plan, and I’m happy to see the OB Planning Board, The OB RAG and the spirit of the OB Community endures! https://www.facebook.com/douglas.card.902/
Doug Card! Hola, mi amigo; great to hear from you and have been wondering how you’re doing. Yes, how many of us still recall that amazing scene? We worked so hard to form the very first, democratically-elected planning committee – and now they’re all under attack by forces within the city.
Hey Frank, great that in spite of everything you, the OB Planning Board and the OB Rag are all still active, that’s a Trifecta! Keeping the Spirit of ’76 alive.
Doug, First OBPB 1976-77
You know what’s funny – you and I remember the very first OB Planning Board elected in 1976 – and you were on it! But for some reason, the city doesn’t recognize “76” as the start year and instead claims it was 1977. They even produced a banner celebrating it with that year as part of the logo at the OBPB’s 40th anniversary. WTF??
Frank, that is so funny! I’m sitting here looking at a letter dated November 17, 1976 sent to me by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce. It’s addressed to Douglas Card, Ocean Beach Planning Board, thanking me for participating in their Growth Management seminar. (see my email to you) Well, you remember the City (except Gary Weber) and CPC fought us all the way so you know they’d bungle our history too. Maybe they’re trying to hide some of our activities of that year. But really the big issue is whether the community planning organizations have the power they deserve or is the City taking it away. The way I see it after more than 45 years is that city planners feel concentrating growth densely towards the center makes sense even if it means destroying established neighborhoods and communities. Whereas we feel healthy neighborhoods and communities are important for healthy human life.
GREAT article doing “stupid” things to our democracy in Atlantic:
(https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/05/social-media-democracy-trust-babel/629369/)
The recent revelation the Supreme Court intends to roll back abortion rights throws into sharp relief the real world consequences of the totally predictable results of morally narcissistic decisions by some Democrats. Same sex marriage is next on the hit list. Keep it up Democrats.
Enlighten us, what “morally narcissistic decisions” have the Democrats made?
Ginsburg refusing to retire during the Obama Administration given the utter foreseeability of her dying while a Republican could be in the White House given her age and very poor health. The “Defund The Police” nonsense that drove legions of voters into the arms of the Republicans. And, of course, progressive Democrats who couldn’t bear to vote for Hillary Clinton voting for the Green candidate, Jill Stein, in the Midwest swing states in sufficient numbers to deliver the election to Trump in 2016. All are examples of the folly of pursuing high-minded goals with reckless disregard for the real world consequences which bring us to where we are today
Mr. Zanolli:
You did notice that the GOP refused to seat the nominee that Obama proposed anyway, yes? They stalled and stalled until they got Trump, them proceeded to stack the court with theocratic extremists. Notice that the GOP old fart Thomas whose wife actively promoted the Jan 6 coup has not retired, either? What’s up with that, hmmm?
___
Maybe the term ‘defund’ was inappropriate when ‘demilitarize’ would have been better? But with entire cop departments like on the link below, perhaps you’d agree that ending immunity for criminal actions should happen? Just maybe cops should be equal with the citizens they are supposed to ‘protect’ when it comes to taking responsibility for their actions on duty. There is a reason people wear ACAB t-shirts…because ‘good’ cops don’t out the ‘bad’ cops might have something to do with the de-fund movement. It’s not a bad apple thing as brutality and criminal actions are widespread throughout the country as so many cell phone videos prove.
Phoenix Police borrow neo-Nazi design jeering attack in Charlottesville for “challenge coin”
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/5/2/2095091/-Phoenix-Police-borrow-neo-Nazi-design-jeering-attack-in-Charlottesville-for-challenge-coin
___
H. Clinton won by 3 million votes over Trump in 2016, dude, even after what the DNC pulled on Bernie Sanders in the Primary. You need to quit blaming the people who have been completely marginalized by the wealthy rightwing corporate neoliberals that control the DNC who want CHANGE and not Status Quo conservative politics. Maybe then Dems could bring back those that have been disenfranchised by decades of D behavior and policies? People are sick of voting D and getting pre-1980 R policies.
___
Ending the ‘electoral college’ could have a much fairer outcome along with cancelling the ridiculously money-corrupted Senate who has far too much power for our own good. And don’t forget to fix gerrymandering of voting districts. Maybe end the 1970s ‘filibuster’ crap while we’re at it and shift the number of congressional seats according to population. Can you sensibly explain why Wyoming with a total population of less than a million has as much political power as far more populated states? That really doesn’t make sense to people who can add 2+2 and understand basic percentages…
I’m thinking that you have failed to realize how drastic the rightward swing of the current corporate-funded Democrats have swung since 1980. Why do they keep trying to out-republican the Rethuglicans? Let’s get real here, and admit that serious changes are needed immediately.
sealintheSelkirks
Predictable as Romney’s quote
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3474583-gop-steps-up-attacks-on-canceling-student-debt/
With the Supreme Court posed to overturn Roe v Wade, perhaps the Dems have an issue. It would be very stupid for Democrats not to push the right of women to choose right now.
Frank, I’m not holding my breath as past performance on too many issues have proven to me that the neoliberal corporate that controls the DNC are so out of touch with the majority of their so-called ‘base’ (who voted against Trump and NOT ‘for’ Biden) that I can’t for the life of me see them doing anything different. Maybe they’ll write ‘strongly worded letters of protest’ to Mindless Green and Bonehead Boebert about their feelings, eh? That’s teach them Qthuglicans!
The don’t fight for voting rights, refuse to get rid of the vile fillibuster rule, rolled over and bared their bellies to Obama’s weak attempt at filling a unSupreme Court seat while Trump put in HOW MANY? And after a year not one single high level plotter of the 1934 Fascist coup attempt…oh, excuse me that’s the wrong decade…slip of the tongue (but the SAME THING HAPPENED THEN, TOO, and Grandpappy Bush didn’t go to jail or any other of the Wall St bankers that instigated it; history does too repeat).
So I’ll continue with the view that just disposable grunts in the 2020 Fascist coup attempt has been indicted. And many of them are just getting slapped a little not really slammed. Not like the American Indian Movement, not like the Panthers, not like the Vietnam war protesters. This isn’t the Democrat Party that elected Mike Gravel. Compare Biden to McGovern and you get…republican.
The DNC doesn’t seem to have a clue. Probably too busy with their stock options I would guess…
Wish it were different. It’s not. And round and round it goes.
sealintheSelkirks