My mind has been reeling lately, tortured by this question: What am I? A liberal or a moderate or a progressive Democrat? Because I must be one, not the other, or so I’m told.  If I support universal, single payer health care, I must rally for Medicare for All—now—to be progressive. If I can’t imagine all the items in the Green New Deal happening immediately after the 2020 election, I must be a despised moderate. If I believe in free tuition for community college but not for all college students, I am . . . liberal? If I espouse principles of social democracy, must I accept the label of democratic socialist?
Reports from the House Democratic conference recently included stories of ascendant progressives raising the specter of primaries against moderates, those entrenched and newly elected. A war of blue vs. purplish blue is rumbling. Master strategist Nancy Pelosi seems better  able to bring Donald Trump to heel than to corral her own legislators.Â
Stop! The Democratic party, indeed, needs the next two years to define itself, preparing to battle Trump’s vision of America. Its voice must be authentic and must speak to the challenges that citizens face in their everyday lives. But most people will not vote for an ideology. They’ll listen for and support policies and programs they can recognize and believe in. Moreover, they’ll choose a person who will articulate their hopes. If the nominee’s platform lacks the tight consistency of ideology, so be it. If Trump and his GOP party are going to be defeated in 2020, this Best in Show primary competition might well choose a happy mutt.
Publishing history:
Albany Times Union online 3/25
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