What’s Next For Democrats?
With Republicans due to take control of the Presidency, the Senate, and Congress, in two weeks, many popular democratic initiatives are on the chopping block. This could include cuts to popular programs such as Social Security or Medicare. It could include cuts to the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden passed in 2022, or any of his other laws passed during his presidency. We won’t fully know until Republicans release their specific policy proposals.
But Democrats have found themselves in a tough spot. They have abandoned the working class, and have no true method of getting their messaging out to the American public, particularly the portion of the electorate who doesn’t consume political news. So how do the proceed? How do they move forward? Not only with messaging, but with fighting for the policies that they claim to support.
We know that Republicans no longer play by the rules. Mitch McConnell famously said they would not nominate a Supreme Court justice for President Obama during his final year in office, but had no problem pushing through Amy Coney Barrett less than 6 weeks ahead of the 2020 election. And they are showing no signs of slowing down.
It’s time for Democrats to play by their rules. But that will be tough to when you control zero branches of government. So how do they do that? Democrats should attach riders & amendments to all of the bills that Republicans attempt to pass, including some of President Trump’s main campaign promises:
Trumps tax cuts? Include a rider that raises the minimum wage to $15/hour.
Repeal the Affordable Care Act? Include a rider that replaces it with Medicare For All.
Eliminate taxes on Social Security? Include a rider that eliminates the income cap on social security, increasing funding and securing the trust fund’s solvency issues.
Essentially, Democrats need to beat Republicans at their own game. Attach riders that force Republicans to vote against bills that increase the minimum wage, expand healthcare access, increase funding for Social Security, and any other policy that directly benefits the middle class. This includes:
Investment in Manufacturing, Infrastructure, or anything that creates jobs in the United States
Initiatives for Energy Alternatives, including increasing the EV Tax Credit if Trump attempts to repeal it.
In addition to populist economic policies, they must also come up with common sense stances on Immigration, the border, and any other issue that may have influenced voters during the November 2024 general election.
And lastly, they must be honest about the situation in Gaza - it is a genocide, and an attempt at ethnic cleansing. They need to come out and say that. Millions of innocent men, women, and children are being targeted simply because of their ethnicity. Democratic leaders should never have welcomed Netanyahu to speak to Congress & the Senate.
President Biden didn’t have a policy. He didn’t have an defined end game. And even if he did, communication has never been his strong suit. Democrats must have a clear policy when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East.
If they can’t figure out their messaging when they are the underdog, then they never will.
It’s time for a change within the Democratic party, especially if they wish to continue on as a political party in this country.