What’s Wrong with Democrats?
Identify problems safe to talk about
By Erik Dolson
A hilarious illustration of what’s wrong with the Democratic Party has been provided by Kirsten Allen, Vice President Kamala Harris’s press secretary.
Offering “proof” of Harris’ effectiveness, Allen “went on to link to roughly a dozen news articles highlighting Harris’s work in the administration over the past year, showing how the vice president has led outreach over abortion access after the fall of Roe v. Wade, spoken about efforts to replace lead pipes in water systems, promoted the Biden agenda around the country and abroad, and most recently spoken at the funeral of Tyre Nichols, who died after being beaten by Memphis police last month,” according to The Hill website.
Over a couple of decades as a small-town editor / publisher, I’ve railed against those confusing intention with action, including my own team. Reporters are supposed to answer questions about Who, What, Why, When, Where, and How. Intentions fail to exhibit most of these. Intentions are also often quite different than what the person seeking credit says they are.
Deconstructing Press Secretary Kirsten Allen’s list of Harris accomplishments, according to The Hill, at any rate, illustrates this:
(1) led outreach over abortion access … I don’t know what “leading outreach” is. Did she write a piece of legislation? Did she organize programs to help women in Texas and Oklahoma? Did she lead a march on Washington D. C.?
(2) spoken about efforts to replace lead pipes … Is “spoken about efforts” the same as making the effort to replace lead pipes? Did she secure funding to replace those pipes? Did she find funds to hospitalize or even identify children poisoned by that lead? Did she work to make it a crime to poison those children?”
(3) promoted the Biden agenda … Please.
(4) spoken at the funeral of Tyre Nichols … God. At one time it was considered bad taste to politicize a tragedy for personal gain. To turn that young man’s funeral into a photo op is unconscionable.
But this is not about the hollowing out of American’s sense of decorum. That’s too easy. This is about Democrats confusing posturing, platitude spewing, and self-aggrandizing with doing the damn job! Getting something done!
Want a list? Here:
(1) Is homelessness city, state or national problem? A financial problem, a price problem, an inequality problem, a land-use problem, a racial problem, a problem inherent in Capitalism … what?
(2) What kind of health system charges uninsured patients 50 times what insurance companies pay hospitals? Does capitalism work in health care? If not, why not?
(3) Is it impossible to control drug prices? Really? Let’s introduce a little capitalism — competition, transparency, real markets — and see what happens. Let’s open our market to international companies like we do with cars … international drug companies already sell here, and our drugs are not better than those of any other nation that pays a fraction of what the American taxpayer does.
(4) What’s our plan for a world rapidly depopulating? How do we protect our workers and our companies that will need those workers as their primary market for their goods? What does the the U.S. need to do and when?
(5) Is it possible for Democrats to have an honest conversation about junkies, drunks, and what to do about those who fail at life? Who is responsible? Is there a threshold beyond which we just let them go?
(6) We need contingency plans for when major parts of Miami, Houston, New Orleans and San Francisco are all under water.
(7) Speaking of water, is it time to have a national plan for this vital resource, or should we let major cities dry up and blow away?
(8) We need to get power from where it is abundant to where it is scarce. How will we build a national energy grid?
Enough. Everyone has their list. The point is, there’s real work to be done outside of pandering to identity groups and looking good on camera. Work that is harder than speaking, promoting, and outreaching.
Democrats need to get to that work, or get out of the way of a new party that will.
Thank you, Erik. As a guy who grew up in the industrial working class among factory workers, skilled workers, etc., I am a through-going anti-Republican. But, your article states clearly why I am not a Democrat. Many/most of the socio-economic problems the U.S. has ARE DUE TO aspects of capitalism. And, while the Republican Party is the party of capitalism, as Hunter S Thompson pointed out, almost all Democrats are no more than 20% different than most Republicans. They, too, are so enmeshed in the capitalist system that they only nibble at the edges of real change. Substative socio-economic problems will not be solved within capitalism. I am NOT talking about destroying private enterprise or having no private sector. But for us to have a truly healthy nation, the extremes of capitalism must be eliminated. As I heard a member of the Norwegian parliament say, "We have capitalism in Norway. But we control it." Dems must move in that direction. But American voters keep electing even Democrats who don't want real change.
Solid commentary. Something akin to Rome burning? The worst of it is the uniparty who wish to debate among themselves endlessly to gain some minor advantage. And all getting wealthy along the way despite a relatively small salary in an expensive city. Meanwhile, as you note, things of great import are unattended. Many of the issues you have described are errors of omission, not seeing perhaps on purpose. They are not for a lack of money but for a lack of policy and direction.
Thanks.