Coalition Party

Parliamentary governments need to form coalitions to stay in power. In the US we have a binary system. That system may be falling apart, but history suggests it will remain a two-party system even if one (or both) of the parties change.

The Democratic party is gaining support from a lot of people who formerly considered themselves conservative, whether or not Republicans. At the same time, some forces within the party are pushing things farther to the left, partly in reaction to the current administration and Republican senators and representatives who so willingly aid and abet. Others want the party to be more centrist.

I'm hoping the party moves neither right nor left--or rather does both.

What I don't want is a reactionary party that lashes out against everything that the administration or the Republicans propose. The Daily Kos, for example, tends to take offense at or mock every statement, action, policy, or suggestion of the current government. Maybe we need some of that vitriol, but I would hate to see it define the Democratic Party.

I would like to hear the Party explicitly invite everyone to join them as a coalition of those who want to see change. Rather than a well-defined platform that says exactly how the party stands on this, that, and the next issue or policy, it should have a more open platform with some defining principles and should then open itself to dialog, not infighting.

Perhaps what you like about the Democratic Party is that it represents the left, and you want to be far to the left. Does that mean you reject as a partner someone who wants a sensible middle path? You are strongly pro-choice; would you rather push a pro-life moderate who welcomes refugees and cares about social justice back to the Republican Party? You despise all guns; can you work with a hunter who agrees that sensible gun control and more research into gun violence is essential?

Why not find common ground? On each of the issues that divide us progressives and liberals there are sensible paths that we can agree on. You disagree? You may be right. Which issues are they? Which ones allow no compromise better than the bigotry and injustice of the current administration and congress? I can't think of any; help me out.

Much of the Republican Party seems to revel in its deplorability. It offers every aid to those who need it least. It wrings its hands and then sits on them when it comes to gun violence while belittling and insulting students who saw their classmates shot and killed. It blames the disenfranchised for national debt and immigrants for crime. And our president lies and lies and lies--while analysts debate his policies and hazard guesses about his positions.

Does the Democratic Party have an alternative? Yes. Can we agree on it? Probably not. But we can agree that justice and liberty should be for all, and not weighted in favor of the rich and powerful. Let's keep debating how best to achieve justice, but let's not wait until we are all of one mind on every policy. That will be the death of us.

What will it take to unite us? What is a theme that sums up the appropriate response of responsible people to current plutocracy? Let's unite on that and let it guide the coalition while we debate the details.

#ForThePeople

Conspiracy Theory

As the Russia connection keeps heating up, some Trump opponents seem sure the scandal will bring him down. I have a nagging fear that it won't.

Suppose he's clever. Suppose he knows what is involved and that it's messy but not strictly illegal. He plays this issue, blusters and bloviates, blames others, twists the facts, brags about his rights, stonewalls. (The Trumps are very practiced at blocking legal proceedings, and the Donald isn't likely to change his strategy now.)

Trump may be playing our fear and loathing against us. He may not master much, but he is a practiced master of deceit. What if, after Trump and associates invest in months of obstruction, the facts finally come to light—unseemly and more than a little aggravating, but no impeachable offenses.

By making this one issue the primary focus, we run the risk of losing big. The obstructionism could merely be a ploy to keep demanding our attention for months on end, only to let the less-than-criminal results finally come out. In the end, Trump's detractors could be humiliated while his supporters revel in the win. By association, his other misdeeds are proclaimed to be equally innocuous.

Meanwhile, so many colossal issues gain traction because this one seems the colossus. He refuses to release his tax returns so America has a baseline for judging whether he uses his office to enrich himself. Legislation that favors his economic class expands. Bigotry and intolerance increases. Congress joins the President in kicking at the fingers of those barely clinging to hope and healthcare. The environment groans. Dependable allies are abandoned and ridiculed out of some perceived slight of his honor. Great piles of lies accumulate so high we can no longer see the truth somewhere beyond.

The Russia connection needs to be investigated. I hope those who see it bringing an end to this presidency are correct. But it is only one small part of the picture. Let's keep applying pressure on all fronts. Let's make sure we aren't duped into expending too much energy and reputation on this one issue.