Another View: Democrats played defense when they should have played offense

In 2000, the blame fell on third-party candidates. In 2010 and 2014, it was low voter turnout. In 2016, the party pointed fingers at Green Party nominee Jill Stein, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Russian interference. This time, the focus shifted to disaffected minority voters, specifically Black male voters, and Arab voters in Michigan. At every turn, the Democratic Party has found scapegoats to explain its failures.

Americans being told their vote will determine the most important election in their lifetime is common as apple pie — but this year’s election was different. No election in modern history has seen a member in the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff publicly call leading candidate Donald Trump a “fascist to the core,” or Trump’s former chief of staff plead with God for help, warning that Trump has “nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law.” One would think a pivotal election of this scope and magnitude would be a layup for Democrats. Instead, they fumbled it.

At this point, there is no need to revisit Trump’s every controversial statement or action, nor the ongoing criminal cases against him. All of that is out in the open and, quite frankly, means little now that he will be in charge. The next four years will be tumultuous, challenging and painful. However, this adversity could reveal a silver lining, as voters may reflect on their lives and perhaps ponder fundamental questions such as: “What is democracy?” Voters were repeatedly warned that democracy was on the line.

As for Democrats, the era of compromise, false pragmatism and tweaks around the edges is over. The formula worked in the 1990s, but we live in a bold, new century. For all the talk of “bottom-up and middle-out Bidenomics,” Bankrate’s findings indicate nearly half of the population is incapable of paying for an emergency expense of $1,000 or more, living precariously on the edge of financial ruin. Additionally, 37.9 million Americans live in poverty, roughly the size of California’s population.

Meanwhile, 27.1 million Americans do not have health insurance – an issue Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to rectify in 2019 through “Medicare for All,” only to abandon it years later in arguably the most consequential election of our time.

With so much at stake in this election, the Democratic Party played defense when it should have played offense. Democrats marketed themselves as the party that would protect democracy, fundamental rights and freedom. In the end, they could not defend these foundational elements against a former media personality and reality TV star.

With Tesla CEO Elon Musk calling for federal spending to be cut by an enormous $2 trillion, resulting in “temporary hardship,” as he put it, the Democrats would be wise to capitalize on the difficulty that lies ahead for voters and put Republicans on the defensive. States such as West Virginia, Kentucky and Bible Belt ones such as Missouri, Tennessee and Louisiana were Democratic strongholds until the late 20th century. These same states today are among the most impoverished in the nation, creating an opportunity for Democrats – if they offer them something to vote for.

Many will succumb to political nihilism and disillusionment as a consequence of a second Trump presidency, but taking the easy way out is a disservice to those who fought for our freedoms. Instead, engage civically and learn from the past: the suffrage movement, the civil rights movement and the labor movement, which all paved the way for the rights and liberties we enjoy today.

The future of democracy depends on active participation, not complacency.

Alan Joseph is a freelance journalist and commentator whose work has been published in several prominent publications. ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.