Democrats’ disastrous week may foreshadow November
All political parties have bad days. But the Democratic Party had four of its worst days in memory in a single week in February.
On Feb. 3, the Iowa caucuses imploded for the first time ever. The new app-driven counting melted down, discrediting the idea of caucusing in general.
The winner — Pete Buttigieg, two delegates over Bernie Sanders — wasn’t known for days. The mess was ironic in several ways.
The Democrats are the party of the Silicon Valley. They claim to be on the cutting edge of youthful computer culture. But the inability to count simple votes was a bitter reminder that they understand the cyber world no better than their Republican opponents.
Four years ago, the Democratic Party found ways to thwart socialist Bernie Sanders’ primary bid. Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile leaked CNN debate questions to Hillary Clinton, and the party used superdelegates to nullify Sanders’ grassroots surge.
This time around, the release of a pre-caucus Des Moines Register poll was canceled for the first time ever. Rumors swirled that the Democratic establishment was embarrassed over Sanders’ likely strong showing. Such conspiracy theories were further fueled when it took days to announce who actually won the caucuses.
The Iowa mess confirmed that the Democratic Party is torn apart, while a near-record 90% of Republicans are united under Trump.
Democrats say they appeal to diversity, protect the average working American and are suspicious of the billionaire class. But the Democratic primary race so far reminds us that party rules favor rich, white candidates.
The agendas voiced on the debate stages aren’t those of Middle America. So far latecomer multibillionaire Michael Bloomberg has spent hundreds of millions to buy his way onto the Democratic debate stage and advance in polling. Billionaire Tom Steyer has little support but has qualified for the debate stage due to his billions.
On Feb. 4, the second day of this Democratic train wreck, Trump gave his State of the Union address. Even many critics grudgingly admitted it was the best speech of Trump’s presidency. That same day, a Gallup Poll showed Trump’s approval rating at 49%, the highest of his presidency.
Democratic members of Congress appeared petty regarding the address, showing they were politicos first and elected officials second. Some Democratic representatives didn’t show up. Others walked out. Some hectored Trump.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, DCalif., tore up her official copy of Trump’s speech at the end — the first time in history that the House speaker, seated directly behind the president, showed such childishness.
Then, on Feb. 5, the Senate voted to acquit Trump on two impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
When the impeachment inquiry started in September, Trump’s approval rating was about eight points lower than it is now. The impeachment effort proved an unmitigated political disaster for the Democratic Party.
Finally, the Democratic debate on Feb. 7 confirmed opinions that it’s heading over the cliff. All seven candidates — six of them white — pilloried the United States as an inherently racist society. If so, then why didn’t the debaters invite onstage the Democratic candidates of color who dropped out of the race earlier?
The Democrats have nine months to unite around a centrist candidate. They have to offer a realistic counteragenda to Trump’s booming economy and recalibration of foreign policy. Democrats also have to run their debates and primaries competently, fairly and professionally.
Otherwise, 2020 will turn out to be a disaster for them — just like those four bad days earlier this month.