It’s been one year since Democrats won the election (yes, you read that right). In it, they gained the seat in the Oval Office, the presidency, but also a majority of seats in the House, and the ability for a majority with the Vice President as a tiebreaker in the Senate.
There are many people who have commented on what the Democrats in the White House, House, and Senate have done and certainly there are those complaining or pointing out what they haven’t. But looking ahead, here's what I, a liberal Democrat, think my party must do now.
BIDEN'S FIRST YEAR: PRESIDENT STRUGGLES TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ON KEY INITIATIVES
President Biden meets with members of the Infrastructure Implementation Task Force to discuss the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Making the Sunday talk show circuit, fellow Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats should "quit being a whiny party" and instead focus on accomplishments thus far. "Gloat and promote," he said. And I agree. The Democrats need to be pushing and moving forward, as Republican opponents are truly the party of obstruction stuck in the 2020 election cycle worshipping at the altar of Trump.
So what should my party do in this next year to restore America’s faith in it, Congress, and the president?
Address first and foremost the issues voters care most about. That doesn’t mean you do away with issues like voting rights, which was campaigned on and continue to champion. But it does mean they should be on the back burner, and other more pressing issues that matter more to voters on the front. Polls show not only Congress being divided on voting rights, but voters are as well. A Morning Consult/Politico poll shows 20 percent want to reform Congress’ role in counting Electoral College votes, 22 percent want oversight of states changes to voting practices, 26 percent want to expand federal election voting access. But the majority, 32 percent, do not want any of these issues to be Congress’ priority, right now.
So what issues should be?
Let's go back to James Carville. It was he who famously said back in 1992, "It’s the economy stupid." It was true then; it still is today. So first, both the White House and Congress need to focus on improving the economy. And that starts with getting inflation under control. If inflation is at seven percent by the midterms, there will be a bloodbath, and it will be blue blood spilled in the House and possibly the Senate. Despite some economic strengths (stronger stock market, higher wages, lower unemployment), it’s not the facts about the economy for voters, it’s their perception and how they feel.
Next up is COVID and this pandemic we are all living in. The White House has been doing some things right. We have more people vaccinated, now more masks will be available, 400 million tests are out there, and you can order a rapid test online, delivered to your home that you can take in your home (half a billion of those). These are all good things, but they should have happened sooner.
So going forward, the White House and Congress need to try to get ahead of this. We know the virus will mutate. We know it’s not going away. Also, the messaging on COVID needs to improve. The White House, CDC, and NIH all need to be on the same page with clear, concise instructions to the American public to avoid confusion. Many feel that COVID is our "new normal" and we should be planning on how we live with this virus indefinitely.
Next up is crime. There is a direct correlation between the number of guns on the street and the increase in crime. But treating crime just as a gun safety issue is not enough. Congress needs to put forth a bill, or the White House an executive order, which would provide training and support for law enforcement, target domestic terrorism, and place more attention on human trafficking and international gangs. This would make voters feel safer.
Lastly is immigration. Yes, there was a surge. Both Congress and the White House need to pump more resources to the border. Public and private partnerships should be encouraged because they could deal with an increase in the migration numbers. That should be on top of an executive order the president signs asking officials to prepare plans for using humanitarian resources.
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But the biggest issue with immigration which both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of in Congress is our broken asylum system. If this were to be repaired, if people could apply for asylum in their home country; we wouldn’t see masses at the border. So far the President signed an executive order directing officials in his administrations to come up with a strategy for migration which would include both refugees and asylum seekers, but we haven’t seen specific plans for that. We need to.
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The bottom line is that with legislation and messaging, my party needs to do better. As Representative Tim Ryan who is running for Ohio’s open Senate seat said: "the party isn’t addressing voter anxieties about school closures, the pandemic and economic security."
The Democrats in Congress and the White House need to be strong and unified in their messaging and listen to the American voter on what bills need to be prioritized and work hard to get those passed.
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