In defeat, Democrats’ divisions widen

‘Unity tour’ with Sanders, Perez a display of discord

With the media fixating on the first 100 days of the Trump era, the disrepair of the Democratic Party is getting less attention than it deserves. It’s been nearly six months since Hillary Clinton’s shocking defeat, and the civil war raging within the party she once hoped to lead shows no sign of subsiding.

Save the occasional tweet or nature walk, Clinton has largely retreated from the spotlight. The same can not be said of her former nemesis, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is everywhere these days. He is a ubiquitous presence on cable television, opining on the news of the day and fiercely championing the socialist policies that earned him 12 million votes.

Recognizing Sanders’ draw on the trail, Tom Perez, the newly minted head of the Democratic National Committee, recently joined the Vermonter on what they dubbed a “unity tour.”

It turned out to be a poor choice of words. The entire spectacle quickly devolved into a very public display of division and discord.

The press coverage was brutal. “Democrats’ ‘unity tour’ is highlighting their many divisions,” read one CNN headline, while The New York Times aptly observed, “At a ‘unity’ stop in Nebraska, Democrats find anything but.”

At its core, the disagreement boils down to two different visions for the Democrats’ path back to relevance. One side, represented by Perez and the establishment, is a continuation of Clinton’s middling and poll-tested script. It’s boilerplate left-of-center talking points, with little in the way of specifics. Like Clinton, establishment Democrats have yet to find a compelling economic message to connect with the millions of Americans who feel left behind.

On the other hand, Sanders’ vision calls for a sharp turn to the left. He argues that, “Donald Trump did not win the election — the Democrats lost the election!” He regularly calls for a “fundamental restructuring” of the party and takes shots at Clinton and others for “spending their time raising money from the wealthy and the powerful.”

But a lurch to the left means less room in the tent for those in the middle. That dynamic spilled into the spotlight when Sanders backed and stood by a Democratic candidate deemed insufficiently pro-abortion by party activists. The ensuing brouhaha led Perez to say supporting abortion was “not negotiable,” which drew a quick rebuke from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other party leaders.

Sanders’ distaste for the Democrats is so great he frequently reminds audiences he doesn’t consider PEREZ: Jeered by party activists, he also failed to nab electoral victories. himself a member of the party whose presidential nomination he sought just last year. He recently declared the party is “failing,” and has repeatedly refused to hand over his voluminous campaign email list, which contains crucial data and voter information, to the Democratic National Committee. Beyond Sanders’ selfishness, Perez’ first few months at the DNC have been marked by unending headaches. He was jeered by audiences throughout the so-called unity tour. Things have gotten so bad he has begun lacing his public speeches with crude expletives. His behavior earned him sharp criticism from John Dickerson, the mild-mannered host of CBS’ “Face The Nation,” who chastised Perez for breaking from former first lady Michelle Obama’s motto of, “When they go low, we go high.”

Dickerson also observed that, “For a party with a message problem there’s something exhausting about the overuse of the manure spreader.”

Perez has failed to land a victory in any of the open House elections in 2017, despite more than $8 million in Democratic funds flowing into the recent Georgia race.

So as we hit this 100-day mark, if you’re a Trump supporter, you like what you’re seeing: decisive action in Syria and Afghanistan, a new conservative justice on the Supreme Court and a tax plan that has helped push the stock market to record highs.

If you’re a Democrat, you’re more likely demoralized than energized. You’re wondering if the civil war is ever going to end, and if your party will be recognizable when it does.