web photo courtesy of fisher.osu.edu
CRUEL vs. KIND, NOT RED vs. BLUE
I wrote the response below for a closed group on Facebook called Election Support Group, but it deserves a wider airing. It’s a rant, so a lot more could be said in an extended argument. The gist of the complaint is that the Democratic Party is not answering Republican opponents in form and not taking the argument to the Republicans with enough energy and imagination.
The group coordinator posted the following to get responses from members of the group.
Did you stand up and cheer after seeing any of the following viral videos? -Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) taking on MTG and referencing the "Trump-Putin axis" -Sen Brian Schatz (D-HI) calling out the hypocrisy of Sen. Josh Hawley in no uncertain terms -State Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-MI) standing up against homo- and transphobic bullies bent on destroying public education? Do you wanna see more of this? Are you baffled why this kind of approach isn't at the center of the midterm election strategy? If so, you can call the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee @ (202) 863-1500 and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee @ (202) 224-2447 to share your feedback.—A.H.
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I want to know why most of the media reporting is about the dastardly actions of card-carrying Republicans and their allies? Day after day, we get reports of various government actions being taken that are either anti-democracy or anti-human dignity. Where are the counter-balancing government actions, especially in the states, with Democrats expanding liberty, protecting constitutional rights, and making the voting process easier and safer?
I'm thinking the Red and Blue color-coding of politics has become a big negative. What's really going on inside the various political maneuvers and legislative activity is about cruelty vs. kindness. That ought to be the labeling, not Red and Blue, but Cruel and Kind. There's nothing kind about the political hostility on the Right (these terms Right and Left are pretty useless also, from long-ago framing). The Democrats and their allies need to get in gear and start giving their supporters reasons and opportunities to show what they value. Why not rallies on the progressive side? Let people shout, LOCK THEM UP!, referring to the Trump Traitors, and KEEP TRUMP OUT! Make it simple and repeat it. There's no regular outlets for values display at a large scale on the Democratic side. Unleash Bernie and Elizabeth and Cory and AOC and Beto, people who have a track record of drawing crowds. Pair them up with Kamala and Joe. Get the young Democrats on stage. Do something with emotion!