The pendulum is poised to swing in Democrats favor. Will it? (Photo credit: The Weekly Opine)

The pendulum is cocked

(Publisher’s note: Today is the 400th edition of The Weekly Opine.)

Democrats are overwhelming favorites to crush Republicans as the most important election of our lifetime looms. Yet, questions surround the big tent party as it struggles to lock arms and sing kumbaya. Instead of focusing on what the people want (a fair chance to live affordably) Dems engage in an internal battle over the direction of the party.

The Democratic National Committee is financially broke. When the DNC should be flush with cash, Chair Ken Martin asks outsiders to manage fundraising. Another recent example of Democrat’s unnecessary flailing was leading progressive Democratics endorsing a credibly alleged sexual assaulter to represent Maine in the U.S. Senate.

DSA

Establishment Democrats tear down qualified progressive candidates as the ideological divide within the party widens. However, New York City’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani, and Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, are prototype modern politicians. So is Michigan’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Jocelyn Benson, who vows to campaign together with El-Sayed. These are the faces of the growing Democratic Socialists of America. Distastefully, some old-school Democrats turn to racism, implying Mamdani and El-Sayed are “less than” because they are Muslims.

Factually, Democratic Socialists of America are a growing faction within the Democratic Party. DSA presents a people first approach to politics and society writ large. DSA is forcing the Democratic Party to self-reflect beyond postmortems about how Kamala Harris lost to the most ignorant, unqualified candidate in U.S. presidential history. Equally important is, how did Democrats lose the House and the Senate to the most corrupt, fascist political party in American history?

Three of the new faces of the Democratic Party: Zohran Mamdani, Abdul El-Sayed, and Jocelyn Benson. (Photo credit: NBC News, Michigan Independent, Democracy Docket)

Voters gravitate toward DSA candidates because DSA innately understands the frustrations borne by people clinging to middle class status and people on the brink of financial catastrophe. DSA recognizes that capitalism fails many Americans, i.e., the deck is stacked as the rich get richer and the masses fall behind.

Candidates like Mamdani, El-Sayed and Benson are genuine and fearless. They articulate a coherent, realistic plan for how to improve people’s lives. The central theme of DSA is to reduce the emphasis on capitalism, while empowering The People to direct the economy and society fairly and equitably. Rent control and raising the minimum wage should not be controversial. Neither should Medicare for All. DSA believes social safety nets should be expanded not torn apart.

Smarten up

Anyone with a brain should be open to DSA’s platform. Unfortunately, America is stocked with fools, as evidenced by the 77 million who voted for Trump in 2024. And a stunning 80 million did not vote (20 million registered voters sat out + 60 million age-eligible didn’t register to vote). All told, 157 million dummies were OK with Trump becoming president again. Can you say F Around and Find Out?

DSA’s platform improves our current political system; whereby special interest groups give large sums of money to lobbyists and politicians. Weak-kneed politicians accommodate the wishes of special interests (passing legislation that favors the wealthy while trampling on our constitutional rights).

Several years ago, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CBS’s 60 Minutes. When asked about genocide taking place in Gaza, Jeffries – a beneficiary of AIPAC money – could not bring himself to forcefully condemn Israel’s brutality against innocent Palestinians. It was maddening watching Jeffries squirm and parse words, trying not to offend AIPAC and the Jewish community. (If any community should recognize genocide, it should be the Jewish community.)

As the election approaches some progressive cable news show hosts go overboard, guaranteeing Democrats will win the House come November.

MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell has an annoying habit of presuming a blue tidal wave is a done deal. When O’Donnell interviews Jeffries, O’Donnell prefaces questions saying, “When you are Speaker of the House this time next year.” O’Donnell frequently tells Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin that he (Raskin) will be the next chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Polls do indicate Democrats have a real shot at winning big this fall. However, claiming victory beforehand is foolish. Especially considering the three obstacles Democrats face.

1. Republican’s plan to interfere in the election using illegal voter suppression tactics.

2. The stupidity of voters who in 2024 voted “yes” to losing healthcare coverage, losing food stamps and unleashing ICE onto U.S. streets.

3. Democrats’ knack for screwing up: a) with subpar messaging and/or focusing on the wrong issues, and b) voters pouting and not voting because they feel left out of Dems’ platform.

Attracting independent voters is the key to success. (Photo credit: CNN)

Go time

My advice to Dems is right now begin delivering intense political messaging that reinforces the unprecedented, ongoing danger represented by Trump and Republicans. The messaging has been gift-wrapped for you: lack of affordability and corruption make life more dangerous and chaotic.

For example, Trump is on video saying he cannot fund Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security because he needs more money for military operations. Trump said affordability is a made-up word. Trump said he doesn’t think about the dire financial situation his tariffs have caused. RFK Jr. disses life-saving vaccines.

And remind voters there is a convicted rapist, highly suspected pedophile in the White House. Remind voters that every single congressional Republican’s voting record proves their sycophantic support for authoritarianism, fascism and pedophilia. In other words, there are not any good Republicans.

Show how greed, tariffs, wars and the corrupt destruction of once-trusted federal institutions are causing the collapse of democracy. Show how unregulated AI will combine with tawdry social media algorithms to hasten society’s collapse. Show how conservative billionaire men rig the system to enrich themselves: politicians are bought like chattel while the rest of us, including fake-Christian MAGA suckers, suffer the consequences.

The key is converting independents, a group that outnumbers Democrats and Republicans. Concerningly, far more independents say they are more likely not to vote. There’s no time to waste. Act now.

November might be our last chance.

WILL DEMS SEAL THE DEAL?