Source: In These Times
Democratic operatives will use the midterm results to preach centrism, but the future of the party lies in its left flank.
n the days following Nov. 8, 2016, the Democratic Party looked to be on life support. Party insiders had promised a repudiation of Trump’s far-right platform, and instead saw staggering Democratic losses at every level of government.
Flash forward two years and the party’s political fortunes are reversed. On Tuesday, voters across the country showed they’re fed up with their hate-monger-in chief and handed Democrats control of the House of Representatives for the first time in eight years. Much like the 2010 election and the arrival of the Tea Party on the national stage, the Democrats have benefitted from a wave of voters looking for a change in leadership and direction.
So what should the Democrats do? Though moderates advise a rush to the center, the party’s future success demands embracing its left flank. It’s there that the energy lies.
The centrists strike again
The centrist wing of the party is ready to pounce, urging Democrats to adopt tepid policies that won’t pose a real challenge to current lopsided power arrangements.
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi has vowed to unilaterally resurrect the “pay-go” rule that would require all new spending to be met with equal tax increases or budget cuts.