It’s Two Weeks Later and The Left Still Doesn’t Get It

by Publius

Nearly two weeks have passed since election day. The dissections and analysis are well under way in all political parties. The Libertarian Party, while disappointed, is trying to find a way to capitalize on increased notoriety. The Republican Party is already looking forward to the midterm elections with hungry eyes on supermajorities in the Senate and House. These two parties are working hard to apply the lessons of 2016. In contrast, the Democrats and broader left have learned absolutely nothing.

It is usually very humbling for a group to be completely defeated on every front. Democrats controlled the White House and both chambers of Congress only eight years ago. In 2017, they will have nothing. Yet, it seems that Democrats and leftists are not looking inward to understand their failings this year. They are instead looking to blame the nation in its entirety for simply being too stupid and racist to know better.

It does not take a genius to understand that Democrats lost when working class whites completely deserted them. Some of the same people that voted for Obama twice turned out for Donald Trump this year. They did so because the Democrats have been screwing them over for the last eight years. Ridiculous regulations and the “Affordable Care Act” have not been good for working class folks. These people did what Americans always do: they voted their wallets. Whether one believes it was correct or not is irrelevant.

Some on the left, instead of understanding how they have alienated these people, have decided to go a different approach post elections: call them all racist and sexist. This may seem like a counterproductive strategy. It typically behooves one not to attack millions of potential voters. It also behooves one to not riot over a lost election, but at this point, who’s keeping track?

It’s not all pundits and college kids, though. The DNC itself seems to be ignoring reality. In the upcoming election for DNC Chairperson, one name has risen to the top: Keith Ellison. The argument behind Ellison isn’t relatability to voters at large or a widely accepted political outlook.

It’s the left’s favorite thing: demographics. Keith Ellison is both black and the first Muslim elected to Congress. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. Calling Mr. Ellison far-left is a bit of an understatement. Mr. Ellison is on record comparing 9/11 to the Reichstag fire. He has also had multiple issues with disclosing campaign contributions.

Despite all of this, some in the Democratic Party are still sane. Bernie Sanders is among them. Despite supporting Ellison, Sanders understands there is a problem. As always though, Sanders understands the problems but gives bad solutions. Ellison will not help connect with the Democrats’ former base. He does not share their politics and they don’t care about demographics. It also doesn’t help that Ellison is from the an urban area, one of the few places Democrats are safe.

Democrats and the left need to change if they want to win again. Until they do, Republicans and the right will continue to dominate for good and ill alike.