Best of Luck in 2022, Democrats.
Oh, and 2024.
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I’ve spent a lot of time writing about my growing frustration with Democrats and their inaction. It’s been difficult to even stomach the growing flimsiness of the excuses, and the complete and total unwillingness to flex the exact same type of political muscle Joe Manchin is using against him. But can we really be surprised, considering a handful of Democrats reportedly support his antics? I and many others have been saying for quite some time that Manchin was merely the face of a broader obstructionist movement within the Democratic party that has chosen to act in this manner to preserve the interest of their donors, but it’s interesting to consider what this means for the party in upcoming elections.
How much longer do Democrats continue to believe they can hide behind the veil of the pursuit of bipartisanship, while the American people witness on a near constant basis that Republican lawmakers have no interest? What do the Democrats expect to happen when their inaction is a slap in the face to every single organizer and volunteer on the ground who delivered the states of Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, only to have Democrats abandon virtually everything they promised once they got elected? What do they expect those organizers to tell the voters when they go back to knock on doors a year from now, and — as Joe Biden promised — nothing has fundamentally changed? When Democrats don’t even have courage to put prescription drug pricing reform on the table, are we supposed to be enthused?
At this point, I’m inclined to simply shrug my shoulders, and say best of luck.
On a multitude of occasions, I’ve been the first to admit I’m incredibly cynical and at times, probably too much so. But at this moment in American political history, I can’t help wondering whether it’s me that’s truly cynical, or the fact that Senate Democrats are letting a crucial voting rights bill die in the Senate because — at least in part — they know there’s money to be made by sending alarm bell fundraising emails about the threat Republicans pose to Democracy instead? With the Democratic party in its current state proving itself to be so fundamentally corrupt, weak, and unequipped to handle this moment, why would I volunteer on their behalf? Why would I donate a penny of my…
