The Democrats Roll Over and Play Dead

      Let me begin with William Butler Yeats’ famous phrase:

      “The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity.”

      Which brings me, inexorably, to the Democratic Party.

      To the best of my knowledge, every vote but one I have taken in every election in which I have participated has been for a Democrat. (By the time I was finally old enough to vote, former Republican John Lindsay ran for reelection as mayor of New York, but as an independent; I voted for him.)

      I wish, these days, I was party to another party.

      I want to support a political movement that vigorously fights for what I believe in. I want to support a political party that understands the grave threats facing this country and is willing to do whatever is needed to meet those threats. I want to place my faith in an organization that is angry and determined and full of passionate intensity.

      That is not the Democratic Party.

      Ever since November’s election, and particularly since the inauguration, the Democratic Party has been confused about how to respond to the assault on our democracy orchestrated by Donald Trump and implemented by Elon Musk. The party has followed, for the most part, the advice from long-time Democratic strategist James Carville to roll over and play dead and wait for the Republicans to really screw it up.

      So, instead of doing everything it can, instead of very loudly sounding the alarm, the Democratic Party has voiced concern, in its best Susan Collins imitation. It has occasionally gone on television to express its disappointment. It has wagged its collective finger.

      It hasn’t remotely made the exceptionally strong case that what is happening is not at all normal, not remotely acceptable. That what is happening isn’t a political disagreement between convivial parties but a full-on onslaught against what our nation has been for nearly 250 years.

      A full-on onslaught requires a full-on response. But the Democratic Party hasn’t led marches or urged Trump opponents to take to the streets. It hasn’t called for mass protests or issued daily press releases or created a shadow cabinet or barnstormed the country holding town halls where citizens can angrily call out the wanna-be fascists for their behavior. It didn’t, en masse, refuse to attend or walk out of that preposterous State of the Union speech.

      The most recent—and most egregious—example of the party’s acquiescence happened when the Democrats in the U.S. Senate gave up the one small piece of leverage they had: the ability to filibuster. Using the filibuster would have prevented Congress from passing a temporary spending bill that avoided a government shutdown, but in fact basically enables Musk and Trump to continue to loot the government.

      My Democratic Party instead helped pass this Republican funding bill that jeopardizes critical programs and accelerates the efforts of Trump, Musk and congressional Republicans to dismantle entire agencies and gut public services.

      My Democratic Party did this after constituents had jammed Congress’ phone lines, demanding that Democrats use this rare, precious point of leverage to take a stand.

      Instead, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democrats joined Republicans in allowing the measure to advance. And they did this despite polls showing that a majority of the public would have blamed the Republican Party or Trump for a government shutdown.

      Why would Democrats want to give Republicans, and Trump, a budget they didn’t even like?

      Because, of course, the Democrats are the responsible party. They didn’t want to be seen as responsible for shutting down the government. In other words, once again, in the common parlance, they brought a knife to a gunfight.

      For my political party today, I don’t want “responsible.” I want the adversarial intensity of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I want the angry steadfastness of Bernie Sanders. I want the pugnaciousness of Jasmine Crockett. Instead, we have the avuncular sensibleness of Chuck Schumer.

      I would desperately like, in fact, another party to represent me. But in a rigid two-party system, I’m stuck, for the moment, with the Democrats. So, let me end with Will Rogers’ famous quip:

      “I am not a member of any organized political party,” the humorist said. “I am a Democrat.”