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If Democrats want to reclaim Congress and the White House, we must reclaim what made our party a national power in the first place.
For much of modern history, Democrats have thrived by welcoming Americans from a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs. We didn't need to agree on all issues, especially on topics such as abortion and gun safety, for a common cause. That flexibility helped to build a durable coalition that could win elections from city hall to council.
However, in recent years we have shifted to a more strict and absolutist attitude. It suggests that Democrats must 100% line up on every board on the party's platform to win labels. This “all or nothing” mentality has not only narrowed our scope. They put their ability to build the legislative majority needed to govern at risk.
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For example, consider a pro-life Democrat. They may diverge from the Nationalist Party's orthodoxy regarding reproductive rights, but many of these leaders endure us on issues such as affordable healthcare, economic justice, and workers' rights. With divided voters, supporting such candidates could be the difference between holding a legislative room or handing it over to Republicans who oppose our values.
The same logic applies to gun safety. In rural areas where hunting and gun ownership is embedded in culture, we shouldn't expect all Democrats to support the same proposal as urban proposals. We can continue to assert mature reforms (background checks, red flags, safe storage) without alienating litmus tests that alienate potential allies.
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As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, we need to meet people where they are. That doesn't mean compromising our values. That means realizing that without ideological flexibility, the coalition will not succeed. Most parliamentary democracies around the world understand this. The majority is built through negotiation and compromise between parties who may agree only to a few important issues. That's how they continue to suppress the functional and extreme ideology of government.
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You need to do the same thing. The most important thing is not the purity of the ideology. Because that is the power to govern. It's the ability to pass laws, confirm judges, invest in the community, protect democracy from those who try to undermine it.
If we want to win again, we must embrace the complexities of voters. We must build a Democrat who praises inclusion in ideological conformity. Only then can we have the power to satisfy this moment and the future beyond.
