The Democrats must undergo a significant shift in direction
The progressive left is facing a humiliating and dystopic nightmare with the re-election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president.
The Davos elites are struggling to understand how Trump managed to create a multi-racial working-class coalition that goes against their out-of-touch worldview focused on identity, government patronage, and the decline of American influence globally.
This can be likened to a Marie Antoinette moment.
The uprising that led to Trump’s re-election was not driven by violent revolutionaries but rather by hardworking Americans from diverse backgrounds seeking dignity, jobs, safety, and strong communities.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise given the lack of enthusiasm among Democrats in the final weeks of the campaign, with low early voter turnout indicating a lack of support for the party.
Warning signs have been evident for years with dissatisfaction among voters across a range of issues including inflation, government spending, illegal migration, the Green New Deal, crime, and more, highlighting a rejection of the post-modern left’s ideologies embraced by the Democratic party.
Democrats’ sanctimonious attitudes have exacerbated the situation, further turning away voters with their hypocrisy on migration and other issues.
Meanwhile, Republicans have been successful in appealing to working-class Americans by addressing concerns such as inflation, automation, immigration, and other challenges.
The Democratic party seems to lack awareness of the need for significant course correction and instead has resorted to legal tactics to counter Trump, which have largely failed and only boosted his political standing.
If Democrats want to regain lost ground, they must shift back to the political center, away from the resist movement, and focus on addressing the concerns of working-class Americans for a stronger economy and safer communities.
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The resist movement’s labeling of Trump as a fascist insults the significant portion of the electorate that supported him, highlighting the disconnect between the Democratic party and mainstream voters.
To move forward, Democrats need to shift towards the center, emphasizing economic growth, fair trade, and other issues that resonate with working-class Americans rather than divisive identity politics and extremism.
This shift would require Democratic leaders to challenge the mainstream media, activists, and politicians who push the resist movement’s agenda, and instead focus on policies that benefit all Americans.
Julian Epstein is the former Democratic chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.
