Letter to the Editor - Livingston: My open letter to my fellow Democrats
What an election day. Two impeachments, a conviction, and an insurrection later, a majority of the voting public have decided to give Trump another four years in the White House. Despite all this baggage (which I have barely scratched the surface,) voters have decided to join the anti-incumbent spree happening worldwide and punish the Biden administration for COVID-induced inflation and perceived economic mismanagement.
Post-election, there has been and will be a lot of soul-searching within the party, rightfully so. My intention is not to baselessly point fingers, but to offer constructive ideas based on my perspective. And just like any other individual perspective, it is limited in scope to a certain extent; it will vary depending on your political outlook and demographics, as will mine. So let me preface; I am an 18-year-old, white, gay, centrist (Blue Dog) Democrat.
With that out of the way, here are three things I think will help Democrats win back voters and get back in power.
First, I think we need to drop the identity politics. We are seeing Republicans chip away at some of the core bases of the Democratic Party. What first was the loss of white working-class voters starting in 2016, we are now seeing Black and Latino folks follow suit. They are tired of being taken for granted. Because they are seen as a reliable voting base, Democrats typically do not bother to campaign or engage with those core groups. Thanks to this systemic issue, we are seeing a post-racial realignment. Trump is using this opportunity to slowly chip away at the coalition that helped elect Obama twice. We must stop breathing life into the progressive left’s outlandish rhetoric and attempts to speak on behalf of an entire minority group. For example, terms like “Latinx” or “BIPOC” alienate folks.
They have good intentions, but this language policing and similar practices come off as patronizing and condescending to the exact groups they are attempting to help. Of course, we should fight inequities and discrimination, full stop. However, this hyper-focus on elevating one’s identity group over their individuality does more harm than good. The Right will cherry pick these occurrences and blow them way out of proportion. All of this attention simply adds to the reputation that Democrats are out of touch. ALL Democrats must actively separate themselves from these occurrences as a whole, not just at the presidential level, where Harris did a better job of doing so.
Next, we need to embrace a YIMBY (Yes-In-My-BackYard) and abundance agenda and push for more competent and responsive leadership in our deep blue cities and states. In these areas and across the country, we face a crippling housing shortage. Without any initiative to build, expand, scrap outdated zoning laws, and make room for people who want to move in, the growth of these economic titans stall. Because of this inaction, Republicans and media have successfully turned deep blue cities and states into a right-wing punching bag. They blame these Democratic-run cities for widespread homelessness, crime, and drug issues. Again, we must do our best to counter that narrative with competent and responsive leadership, unleashing housing, transit, and other critical construction. If we do not, we will continue to see people flock to states like Texas and Florida, which embrace these policies and see economic and population growth.
Lastly, we must do everything in our power to rid ourselves of an “elitist” image. It was the Republicans that were the “Country Club” party, it was the Republicans pre-2016 who were said to never win a presidential election ever again due to a younger, more educated, and more diverse demographic trend. They were yet to shave the reputation of white, old men who only care about Wall Street and lining their pockets. Now, this reputation has been put on to us, being viewed as coastal elites that sold the working class. We can heal this on two fronts. First, running actual working-class candidates. (Like we did with Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez and Jared Golden). We must run candidates who truly understand, have experienced, and respond to the struggles of the working class in America. Secondly, having a working-class economic agenda. These policies should be pro-family, and pro-worker, as well as pro-innovation and pro-fostering entrepreneurship. I am going to be honest; I am a proud free-market (with streamlined, efficient, and robust safety net), free-trade, and immigration advocate. I will stick to my principles. But for those seeking to lead, you must truly embrace and believe in the principles I described earlier to achieve electoral success.
These three things are some of the many areas we Democrats, in my opinion, need to work on. All in all, we must continue to have nuanced dialogue with all the stakeholders and wings of our party, albeit with open ears and minds. Doing so is crucial to earn the respect and votes of those we left behind.
Ben Livingston
Mankato, Minn.
(BVHS Class of 2024)
