signalmankenneth
Verified User
(CNN) With midterm elections approaching in November, Democrats have surprisingly good reasons to feel optimistic. Republicans have reminded voters of how bad things can get with them in charge, as a spate of unpopular laws go into effect in conservative states that criminalize abortion and put the lives of pregnant women at risk, not to mention attempt to legally force legions of Americans into unwanted parenthood.
Since recent estimates from the Brookings Institution show that raising a child has never been more expensive, that reality hits particularly hard for voters who must now consider whether forced parenthood comports with their vision for America.
At the same time, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination and the undisputed head of the GOP -- former President Donald Trump -- is the subject of an investigation over his handling of classified documents and potential violations of the Espionage Act and other laws.
He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
What was initially believed to be a Republican sweep in November now has a bluer outlook, and for that, the GOP can thank itself.
But Democrats shouldn't get too confident. We are living in an America that is crueler, more divided and more despairing than at any point in my lifetime. And while those conditions can lend themselves to positive and even transformative social change, they often do the opposite, pushing populations toward bigotry, hyper-nationalism and reactionary politics.
Democrats are going to have a hard time harnessing voter energy toward positive change. They can, however, make the case that a Republican victory would be disastrous. To do that, they should lean into touting popular policies they will implement and emphasizing real threats posed by a GOP win. They need to make the case about what they would do to counter right-wing extremism. Ditto voting rights and the threat to democracy itself. Democrats need to come to voters not just with dire and accurate warnings, but a plan of attack beyond "vote for us."
When President Joe Biden pointed to the "semi-fascism" of the Republican Party's rightmost flank, he was not exaggerating. And while plenty of Americans are understandably fed up a Democratic Party that holds the levers of power has failed to achieve goals crucial to its overall agenda, Biden is also right that this election is for nothing less than the soul of the country. And as long as much of the Republican Party keeps walking down its current antidemocratic path, the same will be true of subsequent elections as well.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/opinions/democrats-republicans-midterm-elections-filipovic/index.html
Since recent estimates from the Brookings Institution show that raising a child has never been more expensive, that reality hits particularly hard for voters who must now consider whether forced parenthood comports with their vision for America.
At the same time, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 presidential nomination and the undisputed head of the GOP -- former President Donald Trump -- is the subject of an investigation over his handling of classified documents and potential violations of the Espionage Act and other laws.
He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
What was initially believed to be a Republican sweep in November now has a bluer outlook, and for that, the GOP can thank itself.
But Democrats shouldn't get too confident. We are living in an America that is crueler, more divided and more despairing than at any point in my lifetime. And while those conditions can lend themselves to positive and even transformative social change, they often do the opposite, pushing populations toward bigotry, hyper-nationalism and reactionary politics.
Democrats are going to have a hard time harnessing voter energy toward positive change. They can, however, make the case that a Republican victory would be disastrous. To do that, they should lean into touting popular policies they will implement and emphasizing real threats posed by a GOP win. They need to make the case about what they would do to counter right-wing extremism. Ditto voting rights and the threat to democracy itself. Democrats need to come to voters not just with dire and accurate warnings, but a plan of attack beyond "vote for us."
When President Joe Biden pointed to the "semi-fascism" of the Republican Party's rightmost flank, he was not exaggerating. And while plenty of Americans are understandably fed up a Democratic Party that holds the levers of power has failed to achieve goals crucial to its overall agenda, Biden is also right that this election is for nothing less than the soul of the country. And as long as much of the Republican Party keeps walking down its current antidemocratic path, the same will be true of subsequent elections as well.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/30/opinions/democrats-republicans-midterm-elections-filipovic/index.html
