What — or who — will it take to unite the Democratic Party? Last week, three columnists wrote about the growing rivalry between the party’s progressives and moderates, and speculated as to which contingent could produce a candidate strong enough to take the presidency in 2020.
Responses to each column (David Leonhardt’s “A Dose of Moderation Would Help Democrats,” Ross Douthat’s “The Democrats Have a Culture Problem” and Thomas B. Edsall’s “‘We Are Either a Team or We’re Not’”) reflected a common divide among our readers. While many touted the virtues of democratic socialists like Senator Bernie Sanders as being able to galvanize younger voters, many others called for someone like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio (who has since decided not to run), saying more centrist policies helped him hold an important swing state in the midterms.
A selection from these debates is below. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
‘The progressive agenda is too important to be entrusted to the progressive personality type’
What I’d like to see is not a combination of progressives and moderates, but a combination within individual Democrats of progressive policy aims and moderate temperament. Turning those policy aims into reality will require long-term Democratic control of Congress and the White House. Forging such a durable majority will take patience, prudence, and consensus building. It won’t be accomplished with an intolerant, purist mind set that isn’t shared by most Americans. The progressive agenda is too important to be entrusted to the progressive personality type. — Longestaffe, Pickering
What’s wrong with socialism?
Most self-described socialists are young. They have seen what their moderate parents have gotten us: income inequality, a deteriorating environment and college graduates driving Uber because that’s the best work they can get. You can say that socialism is a bad electoral strategy but young people don’t care. Instead of lecturing them about why they’re wrong, try listening to them. — Cal. Prof., Berkeley, Calif.
A more reasonable label would be “Ineffective Flabby Reformism” versus attempts to actually stand up and accomplish some needed goals. The terms “left” and “socialism” really refer to being good to our neighbors, being less selfish, seeing the harm of extreme inequality, opening one’s eyes to historical racism and sexism in our lives and trying to save our planet from ecological catastrophes. — Just Thinkin’, Texas
We need to move this country forward after being thrown back on our heels by the incompetent G.W. Bush, immoral Trump and ineffective Obama. We need Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic policies, John F. Kennedy’s and Lyndon B. Johnson’s social activism and rigorous environmental policies. Far more Republicans will support the candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders than that of a moderate Democrat. Sanders would take all the disenchanted Trump voters, and they are growing by the day. — Rich D., Tucson
We’re due for some moderation
The Democratic Party doesn’t recognize that it is an elitist organization; that the progressive ideals it claims to represent are akin to political gentrification at the expense of solving the underlying problems threatening America’s working class. And when someone like Sen. Sherrod Brown does speak for this great mass of individuals, he is labeled with the pejorative term “populist,” as though it is unfair to appeal to what most of the country really wants. — Jerry Meadows, Cincinnati
I’ve heard moderate Democrats dismissed as “unicorns,” not worthy of pursuit. I can tell you there are plenty of us in this party, and if it swings too far to the fringe left, not only will the party lose independents in 2020, they will lose us. I don’t consider anyone using the tag “Democratic Socialist” to be an actual Democrat and I won’t support a single one of them. — Cordelia, New York
I have the misfortune of living in northwest Pennsylvania, the gateway to the Rust Belt. “Democratic Socialism” is not going to work in this part of the country. The right will continue to use Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Omar as cudgels to paint the left as unhinged. I just wish there was some way to play down the coverage of these new members who are representative of their districts, but not necessarily the rest of the party. I might support them, but my neighbors won’t. — Marylouise, The Rust Belt
The left is the center
A call for Democrats to move to the center, when in fact the positions of the progressive candidates are strongly supported by the public, seems foolish and dangerous. Americans want fairer taxes, universal health care, a livable wage and an environmental future that controls global warming. These are meat and potato issues that the electorate will support. — Kevin Cummins, Denver
The fact is, our left represents mainstream social and political policy in intelligent, forward-thinking nations. We’re proud of our beliefs. Democrats: walk away from moderate Trump voters. They will never vote for you. It’s time to tack hard left. The only way for Democrats to win is to answer to us, your base. And we’re tired of wasting our votes on centrists who have given us nothing. — Nicholas Rush, Colorado Springs
If the right moves further to the right, then, in order for the Democrats to be moderate, they also have to move right. The spectrum needs balance. Personally, I’m looking at a presidential candidate that is to the right of Bernie Sanders and to the left of Amy Klobuchar. Someone who can get both coastal liberals and Midwest blue dogs to vote with excitement. Someone who is to the left of moderation. — Aimee Pollack-Baker, Massachusetts
Baby boomers will not be ignored
Don’t write off us baby boomer centrist Democrats just yet. Millennials may be marching to the left, but I’m not and neither is anyone in my social circle. And there are still plenty of us remaining.
I see the policies of Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker as arrogant and ludicrous. From a simple mathematics point of view, they can’t win a national election with the Electoral College. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar will be the final straw to alienate the majority of white and Latino Americans who are trending right. Trump will win again. And if Trump goes down and a reasonable Republican like Mitt Romney steps in, I’ll vote for him. — David G., Monroe, N.Y.
Voting center got us nowhere fast
Successful candidates know the nuanced nature of their specific locales. Nancy Pelosi’s challenge is how to stretch her rhetorical practice and analytical toolbox to understand and empower newly elected representatives who clearly bring sorely needed skills and values to the House. If she is to succeed, she must temper the old guard’s outrage at the presence of the new. — Wis. Gal, Colorado Springs
We were told to go along to get along and vote for Hillary Clinton. Where did that get us? This time, no way. — Cal Page, New Hampshire
What’s the point of electing moderates or centrists? They’ve done little or nothing to address gross inequality, gun violence, drug prices, wars of choice, corporate tax evasion, trade deals that offshore jobs, abuse of tech sector visas, data privacy, access to primary care, failing infrastructure, regulatory capture and the corrupt swinging doors to the private sector. The new wave of progressives reject special interest financing, taking only small individual donations, and want to deliver change. The stakes are too high to revert to business as usual. — Xoxarle, Tampa, Fla.
Stay away from identity politics and outliers
America is a big country and there is plenty of room to allow a variety of different cultures to coexist within it. Liberal secular communities do and should exist alongside conservative religious ones. Democrats running for federal office should not focus on cultural issues that devolve easily but on issues like foreign policy that must be resolved at the federal level. — Aoy, Pennsylvania
I may agree with many of the very progressive ideas of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and the new cadre of lefties in the House, but I also dread the notion of a Trump re-election, losing the House again and never taking back the Senate. That is exactly what will happen if idealism — and, in some cases, narcissism — clouds judgment. I still haven’t forgiven Ralph Nader, who had been a hero of mine, and all his high-minded rhetoric for giving us George H.W. Bush. — Steve, Corvallis
Democrats cannot win simply by taking California, New York, New England and New Jersey. If you look at the electoral map from 2016, although Hillary Clinton won the majority of the popular vote, the congressional districts went by and large to the Republicans. Ignoring the Midwest and the South will prove fatal to the chances of regaining the presidency, controlling who sits on the U.S. Supreme Court, enacting laws that benefit the poor and middle class and protecting a woman’s right to choose. America is not a left leaning country, despite what some new members of Congress want us to believe. — Mark Jeffery Koch, Mount Laurel, N.J.
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Home » Analysis & Comment » Opinion | Can Democrats Unite Before 2020?
Opinion | Can Democrats Unite Before 2020?
What — or who — will it take to unite the Democratic Party? Last week, three columnists wrote about the growing rivalry between the party’s progressives and moderates, and speculated as to which contingent could produce a candidate strong enough to take the presidency in 2020.
Responses to each column (David Leonhardt’s “A Dose of Moderation Would Help Democrats,” Ross Douthat’s “The Democrats Have a Culture Problem” and Thomas B. Edsall’s “‘We Are Either a Team or We’re Not’”) reflected a common divide among our readers. While many touted the virtues of democratic socialists like Senator Bernie Sanders as being able to galvanize younger voters, many others called for someone like Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio (who has since decided not to run), saying more centrist policies helped him hold an important swing state in the midterms.
A selection from these debates is below. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.
‘The progressive agenda is too important to be entrusted to the progressive personality type’
What I’d like to see is not a combination of progressives and moderates, but a combination within individual Democrats of progressive policy aims and moderate temperament. Turning those policy aims into reality will require long-term Democratic control of Congress and the White House. Forging such a durable majority will take patience, prudence, and consensus building. It won’t be accomplished with an intolerant, purist mind set that isn’t shared by most Americans. The progressive agenda is too important to be entrusted to the progressive personality type. — Longestaffe, Pickering
What’s wrong with socialism?
Most self-described socialists are young. They have seen what their moderate parents have gotten us: income inequality, a deteriorating environment and college graduates driving Uber because that’s the best work they can get. You can say that socialism is a bad electoral strategy but young people don’t care. Instead of lecturing them about why they’re wrong, try listening to them. — Cal. Prof., Berkeley, Calif.
A more reasonable label would be “Ineffective Flabby Reformism” versus attempts to actually stand up and accomplish some needed goals. The terms “left” and “socialism” really refer to being good to our neighbors, being less selfish, seeing the harm of extreme inequality, opening one’s eyes to historical racism and sexism in our lives and trying to save our planet from ecological catastrophes. — Just Thinkin’, Texas
We need to move this country forward after being thrown back on our heels by the incompetent G.W. Bush, immoral Trump and ineffective Obama. We need Franklin D. Roosevelt’s economic policies, John F. Kennedy’s and Lyndon B. Johnson’s social activism and rigorous environmental policies. Far more Republicans will support the candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders than that of a moderate Democrat. Sanders would take all the disenchanted Trump voters, and they are growing by the day. — Rich D., Tucson
We’re due for some moderation
The Democratic Party doesn’t recognize that it is an elitist organization; that the progressive ideals it claims to represent are akin to political gentrification at the expense of solving the underlying problems threatening America’s working class. And when someone like Sen. Sherrod Brown does speak for this great mass of individuals, he is labeled with the pejorative term “populist,” as though it is unfair to appeal to what most of the country really wants. — Jerry Meadows, Cincinnati
I’ve heard moderate Democrats dismissed as “unicorns,” not worthy of pursuit. I can tell you there are plenty of us in this party, and if it swings too far to the fringe left, not only will the party lose independents in 2020, they will lose us. I don’t consider anyone using the tag “Democratic Socialist” to be an actual Democrat and I won’t support a single one of them. — Cordelia, New York
I have the misfortune of living in northwest Pennsylvania, the gateway to the Rust Belt. “Democratic Socialism” is not going to work in this part of the country. The right will continue to use Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Omar as cudgels to paint the left as unhinged. I just wish there was some way to play down the coverage of these new members who are representative of their districts, but not necessarily the rest of the party. I might support them, but my neighbors won’t. — Marylouise, The Rust Belt
The left is the center
A call for Democrats to move to the center, when in fact the positions of the progressive candidates are strongly supported by the public, seems foolish and dangerous. Americans want fairer taxes, universal health care, a livable wage and an environmental future that controls global warming. These are meat and potato issues that the electorate will support. — Kevin Cummins, Denver
The fact is, our left represents mainstream social and political policy in intelligent, forward-thinking nations. We’re proud of our beliefs. Democrats: walk away from moderate Trump voters. They will never vote for you. It’s time to tack hard left. The only way for Democrats to win is to answer to us, your base. And we’re tired of wasting our votes on centrists who have given us nothing. — Nicholas Rush, Colorado Springs
If the right moves further to the right, then, in order for the Democrats to be moderate, they also have to move right. The spectrum needs balance. Personally, I’m looking at a presidential candidate that is to the right of Bernie Sanders and to the left of Amy Klobuchar. Someone who can get both coastal liberals and Midwest blue dogs to vote with excitement. Someone who is to the left of moderation. — Aimee Pollack-Baker, Massachusetts
Baby boomers will not be ignored
Don’t write off us baby boomer centrist Democrats just yet. Millennials may be marching to the left, but I’m not and neither is anyone in my social circle. And there are still plenty of us remaining.
I see the policies of Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker as arrogant and ludicrous. From a simple mathematics point of view, they can’t win a national election with the Electoral College. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar will be the final straw to alienate the majority of white and Latino Americans who are trending right. Trump will win again. And if Trump goes down and a reasonable Republican like Mitt Romney steps in, I’ll vote for him. — David G., Monroe, N.Y.
Voting center got us nowhere fast
Successful candidates know the nuanced nature of their specific locales. Nancy Pelosi’s challenge is how to stretch her rhetorical practice and analytical toolbox to understand and empower newly elected representatives who clearly bring sorely needed skills and values to the House. If she is to succeed, she must temper the old guard’s outrage at the presence of the new. — Wis. Gal, Colorado Springs
We were told to go along to get along and vote for Hillary Clinton. Where did that get us? This time, no way. — Cal Page, New Hampshire
What’s the point of electing moderates or centrists? They’ve done little or nothing to address gross inequality, gun violence, drug prices, wars of choice, corporate tax evasion, trade deals that offshore jobs, abuse of tech sector visas, data privacy, access to primary care, failing infrastructure, regulatory capture and the corrupt swinging doors to the private sector. The new wave of progressives reject special interest financing, taking only small individual donations, and want to deliver change. The stakes are too high to revert to business as usual. — Xoxarle, Tampa, Fla.
Stay away from identity politics and outliers
America is a big country and there is plenty of room to allow a variety of different cultures to coexist within it. Liberal secular communities do and should exist alongside conservative religious ones. Democrats running for federal office should not focus on cultural issues that devolve easily but on issues like foreign policy that must be resolved at the federal level. — Aoy, Pennsylvania
I may agree with many of the very progressive ideas of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and the new cadre of lefties in the House, but I also dread the notion of a Trump re-election, losing the House again and never taking back the Senate. That is exactly what will happen if idealism — and, in some cases, narcissism — clouds judgment. I still haven’t forgiven Ralph Nader, who had been a hero of mine, and all his high-minded rhetoric for giving us George H.W. Bush. — Steve, Corvallis
Democrats cannot win simply by taking California, New York, New England and New Jersey. If you look at the electoral map from 2016, although Hillary Clinton won the majority of the popular vote, the congressional districts went by and large to the Republicans. Ignoring the Midwest and the South will prove fatal to the chances of regaining the presidency, controlling who sits on the U.S. Supreme Court, enacting laws that benefit the poor and middle class and protecting a woman’s right to choose. America is not a left leaning country, despite what some new members of Congress want us to believe. — Mark Jeffery Koch, Mount Laurel, N.J.
The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: [email protected].
Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.
Source: Read Full Article