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Monday, November 22, 2004 - 03:55 PM
Fight for what we believe in. Period.
Fixing my (Democratic) Party
By Greg Landsman
November 3, 2004 was indeed a dark day for Democrats. Bush won, the Republicans gained seats in both chambers of Congress, and the possibility of a Scalia- or Thomas-led Supreme Court became very likely. The image of the county by county map of America – which screamed red – will be forever etched in my mind as the reminder of such difficult times for Democrats.
As an unapologetic progressive determined to see my Party appeal to more voters and win future elections, I know that we must fight back. But what can the Democratic Party do to be competitive again? We can start with the following:
Fight with more passion. Our Party has failed to embody the kind of passion and resolve for our issues and ideas needed to attract voters and inspire the Party faithful. When it comes to many of America’s highly contentious issues, too many Democratic politicians hedge their bets and avoid debate.
I want Democratic leaders to stop backing down on tough issues. In order to appeal to swing voters, we don’t have to be moderate or conservative. We just have to be strong, principled, clear, consistent, and proud.
For example, do we as Democrats support same-sex marriage or not? John Kerry told voters that, while he supported civil unions, he did not support same-sex marriages. It’s a confusing position. Republicans will call us liberal no matter what we say, so we might as well fight for what we believe in. Period.
We must fight passionately for Labor, rebuilding and strengthening our public schools (not just holding students accountable), making college and job training more accessible, reinstituting America’s war on poverty, advocating for more cops and common-sense gun control, strengthening environmental safeguards, defending civil rights (including marriage between same-sex couples), the power of science, and strengthening international alliances (and institutions) to make the world a more secure place.
Believe it or not, this is a progressive nation. The majority of people in this country support labor standards, public education, lifting people up and revitalizing disinvested neighborhoods, protecting our streets, common-sense gun control, civil rights, stem-cell research, protecting the environment, and the value of making more global friends than enemies. The country will come around on these and other issues, if we just fight with more passion.
Frame Democratic positions more effectively. Republicans are successful in part because they take traditional Republican ideas and wrap them in traditional Democratic concerns (think “Healthy Forrest Initiative” or “Leave No Child Behind.”) We must take our Democratic values and frame them with mainstream concerns. Instead of saying “universal healthcare,” let’s promote the “Lowering Healthcare Premiums Act” to lower the premiums of those currently insured by giving everyone health insurance.
Democrats must also re-frame the abortion debate. We are not a pro-abortion Party. Rather, we are a Party dedicated to uniting America in a common quest to eliminate the annual number of abortions. We should launch the “Abortion Elimination Initiative” to provide greater access to child care and adoption, more educational and job training opportunities for women, stronger accountability mechanisms for men, and wider distribution of birth control.
Reinvigorate the Religious Left. I am a Jewish man trained in (and moved by) the religious teachings of both Judaism and Christianity. In Divinity School, I discovered that too much of the “Religious Right’s” agenda is in contradiction to the teachings of the Jewish prophets and to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
For example, the Jewish Prophet Ezekiel insisted that God had punished the city of Sodom because residents were unwilling to share their prosperity with the poor and needy (16:49): “[Sodom] had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” Another Jewish Prophet, Jeremiah, proclaimed that to know God was to take up the cause of the poor and needy (22:15-16)
Or take Matthew 25:31-46. In that passage, ‘all the nations’ are gathered before Jesus on the Day of Judgment. Jesus, like a shepherd, separates the people, placing the goats to his left and the sheep to his right. Jesus informs the sheep that only they will inherit the Kingdom of God. Why? Because, as Jesus explained, the sheep, not the goats, loved Jesus by feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and caring for the sick.
Sound familiar? The Democratic Party fights for things like ending poverty, including those who are different from us, and making sure that everyone has access to healthcare. Are we not advocating for the teachings of Jeremiah; for the very things that enabled the sheep to inherit the Christian’s Kingdom of God?
For many of us, our Democratic values and beliefs are informed by our deeply held religious principles: human dignity, fairness, equality, justice, and inclusiveness. We should never use religion to divide; never impose our religious beliefs on others. But we must talk to our fellow citizens about the core values in religious teachings, including those of compassion and inclusiveness.
By fighting more passionately, reframing our issues, and reinvigorating the Religious Left, we will once again be the Party that changes America for the better.
Greg Landsman is a loyal Democrat and graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Landsman currently lives and works in Cincinnati, OH – a “blue” city, despite common misperceptions. You can reach Landsman at greg.landsman@ourmovement.org.
Contact Information
· Greg.landsman@ourmovement.org
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