Haunted by the Reagan era, Past defeats still scare older Democratic leaders

[IronLionZion]

Haunted by the Reagan era
Past defeats still scare older Democratic leaders — but not the younger generation

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2019/07/05/feature/haunted-by-the-reagan-era/?utm_term=.550fae2b6893&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1



Newly elected Democrats in the House of Representatives spent June 27 with the sinking feeling that it was happening again: Their party was going to cave to President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on a viscerally emotional issue. Just after a searing photo circulated of a father and his young daughter who had drowned in each other’s arms while fleeing for the sanctuary of U.S. shores, Democrats in Congress let a GOP-drafted spending bill go through that did nothing to address conditions for detained immigrant children — abandoning a House version that would have ordered improvements. House leaders blamed Senate Democrats for capitulating; Senate Democrats attacked the House for poor negotiating.

The new insurgent class of Democrats put the fight in sharp moral terms. “A vote for Mitch McConnell’s border bill is a vote to keep kids in cages and terrorize immigrant communities,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (Minn.). “If you see the Senate bill as an option, then you don’t believe in basic human rights,” declared Rep. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.). “Hell no. That’s an abdication of power,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.).

Frustration with the refusal to stand up for principle is boiling over among younger Democrats. On issue after issue — impeachment, Medicare-for-all, a $15 minimum wage, free public college, a Green New Deal — the answer from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and other Democratic leaders is consistent: Now is not the time; the country isn’t ready. Push too fast or too far, and there’ll be a backlash.

For newer members of the party’s caucus, the older generation’s fear of a backlash is befuddling. “Leadership is driven by fear. They seem to be unable to lead,” said Corbin Trent, a spokesman for Ocasio-Cortez and and a co-founder of Justice Democrats, the insurgent political organization that powered her rise, while also backing Omar and Tlaib. “I’m not sure what caused it.”

The answer, in short: the Gipper.

Good long read about the generational differences based on experiences. We're seeing a lot of this right here on DU. I was very young during Reagan but I saw Clinton and Obama try in vain to work with Republicans just to be obstructed and sabotaged relentlessly. Fox News and RW hate radio have convinced many folks that America is more conservative than it actually is.

[PSPS]

1. "The Gipper" became president solely due to his treason - arms for hostages, secret Iranian deal

Add to that ABC's major promotion of Reagan through its new "Nightline" program.

[dalton99a]

2. +1.

[pangaia]

3. Sounds familiar, eh...

[IronLionZion]

4. The GOP learned that stuff works out for them

so they doubled down on treason and shameless media promotion.

[pangaia]

5. Almost any poll I have ever seen pitting a list of Democratic positions vs Republican

positions ALWAYS comes out in favor of the former.

And yet----

[lapucelle]

6. The author of the piece you cite is The Intercept's Ryan Grim who wrote in October 2016:

Helping make Trump the biggest loser in American history doesn’t require you to vote for Hillary Clinton. A vote for anybody other than Trump ― Green Jill Stein, Libertarian Gary Johnson, writing in your own name ― drives down Trump’s overall national percentage by driving up the total turnout.

As for HRC's time as a legislator...she was my senator. It wasn't quite the picture you paint.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/senator-hillary-clinton-got-along-gop-president

[IronLionZion]

9. Bill, the president, had to deal with a Republican congress

it was a lot of compromise, centrist "third way" policies, and they still impeached him.

[lapucelle]

11. And WJC still continued to work with them. N/T

[shanny]

17. Are you saying that like it was a good thing? nt

[lapucelle]

19. Correcting what some might perceive as revisionism in support of an agenda is not an endorsement.

[shanny]

20. I have no idea what you just said. Or meant.

[Boomerproud]

18. WJC was the head of the Democratic Leadership C

Council that convinced themselves that the only way Democrats could get elected was to be as Repug as possible. We got Don't Ask-Don't Tell and 3 Strikes Your Out garbage with the Starr investigation as the cherry on top. Still feel like a winner, Bill?

[shanny]

22. + a zillion

[shanny]

7. It looks like learned helplessness to me.

[Nay]

8. It does to me, too. They have spent so many years just reacting to bully Republicans

that they are no longer able to stand up for themselves or anyone else in any meaningful way. They cannot bring themselves to treat Trump as the dangerous buffoon he is -- they are afraid of what he will do to them. Their reactions to the GOP are also reminiscent of people in the beginning stages of dementia, like a friend of mine who has since died. When I visited him in the nursing home, I watched him as he tried to go through his mail. He was unable to tell which mail required his attention and which did not -- he paid as much attention to a pizza coupon as his bank statement. IMO, the present Dem leadership is in the same mental trap.

AOC has no problem getting to the heart of the issue; here's a relevant paragraph from the essay:

For the newcomers, this is completely foreign. To them, Republicans shouldn’t be feared, they should be beaten. Ocasio-Cortez told me that she treats Republicans like buffoons because that’s how they’ve behaved for as long as she can remember. “Even before I was of voting age, I saw Republicans accuse the Obamas of doing a ‘terrorist fist bump,’ so they’ve been clowns since I was a teen,” she said.

There are many other points made in this essay that ring totally true. Please, everyone, read it.

[appalachiablue]

14. +1. Maybe an excuse, though I hope not. It's been 40 years,

people need to move beyond the policies and rollback of The Gipper.

[shanny]

16. They do.

This is the party that dealt with the Great Depression, passed the New Deal, defeated Hitler, passed the Civil Rights Act, passed Medicare...we are capable of great things. And now great things are required.

[appalachiablue]

21. Absolutely, major accomplishments, real heritage. Time to buck up Democrats!

This ought to be broadcast regularly, thanks for the reminder...

[Demsrule86]

10. I wonder if the house was won by moderate escapes the 'pogressve wings' notice...

worrying older more experienced Democrats...as consequences can be expected like giving Trump four more years if we displease voters and refuse to acknowledge that this is a centerl left country.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. They think there's ANOTHER backlash coming? What do they think Trump is?

[IronLionZion]

13. If it gets worse than Trump, I don't want to find out

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. I read that this morning

Good article.

[MicaelS]

23. I agree with this completely.

I am 62, and remember well the timidity of Democratic leadership during Reagan. They were, and still are terrified of being accused of unpatriotic by the RW.