In a remarkably candid column Sunday appearing online at the Seattle P-I.com, veteran liberal journalist/pundit Joel Connelly poses an intriguing question that Democrat presidential aspirants and their faithful should be asking themselves, and might if they weren’t so consumed in their dogmatic disgust with Donald Trump.
“Will litmus test Democratic liberals help re-elect Trump?” It’s a fair question, and one that begs an answer sooner than later, especially if you’re a traditional Democrat voter.
Connelly appears to be diplomatically telling liberals to stand down on what is shaping up like a circular firing squad. He details problems that several of the already-announced candidates apparently have with their own base, and drops a strong hint that Democrats who preach diversity aren’t really practicing it.
“The realities of a diverse country are not recognized by those who live in a political echo chamber,” he writes.
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
He also reminds Democrats that “nobody’s perfect” and even says, “Flawed human beings are capable of forceful leadership,” a principle that applies to people on both sides of the political aisle.
Connelly’s piece is underscored by a report from the Associated Press about how Democrats are apparently attracting more white male voters with college educations. But the piece seems to suggest that less educated people are more prone to vote with the GOP, which is sort of a back-handed, subtle slap. But overall, the article acknowledges that Democrats must understand that “new Democratic voters may only be willing to tolerate so much in a party swinging to the left.”
Some things Democrats ought to consider, however, in order to make their party more welcome might make the party leadership choke, and probably alienate the hard left base.
Back off on tax increases, including energy taxes. A lot of those white males have families to support, and they are not affluent “limousine liberals.” They are working stiffs, whose personal economy, like the national economy, essentially revolves around the price of a gallon of gas. Anybody who doesn’t understand that must still eat at mom’s house so they don’t shop for groceries, do their shopping online so they don’t understand the cost of getting goods to retail outlets and ride bikes or buses to their workplace, rather than having to drive 20-30 miles every day to a job site.
Crack down on what may conservatives call the “homeless-industrial complex” and stop enabling drug addicts. A recent special report titled “Seattle is Dying” by KOMO, the local ABC affiliate, has hit a nerve with people who have seen their city turn into a magnet for the maladjusted, and Seattle is not the only city where this is becoming a problem. The special has raised eyebrows across the country, especially among people who don’t want to find used needles in their parks and playgrounds, or see tents or RVs lining their streets.
Get off the backs of gun owners. Just leave them alone. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 million Americans own firearms, and they go about their business every day without harming anyone. According to some estimates, about 17.5 million of them are licensed to carry. Street thugs and career criminals don’t bother with carry permits or licenses, nor do they worry about “universal background checks” because they don’t buy firearms at Cabela’s or some other retail outlet. One doesn’t change crime statistics by treating honest citizens like criminals. The Second Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights, so hands off, for a change.
Get over the 2016 election already. Crying over a loss on election night is understandable but being crybabies two years later suggests that adult supervision is necessary.
Connelly’s piece should be required reading for conservatives who may want to take back Congress and retain the White House next year. One must understand how the other side thinks, and very few journalists explain and demonstrate that as well as he does.
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