Democrats and America’s Soul

In the debates, the Democratic candidates had much to say about policy issues. But that isn’t what this election is about. It’s about America’s soul. What the country stands for. What it means.

Only one of the debaters really seemed to get it. Ironically, the one all the rest beat up as yesterday’s man, out of touch, not getting it. In fact, he’s not on their wavelength — but the right one. That’s Biden.

It’s not as though the others are oblivious to Trump’s monstrousness. Yet they seemed to focus more on criticizing Obama’s administration than Trump’s. (As a Republican I criticized Obama plenty myself.) This shows how far left they’ve veered, pandering to the party’s activist base of zealots. Not even Obama met their purity test.

So we hear policies like decriminalizing unauthorized border crossing*; free healthcare for everyone including the undocumented; free college, ditto. And slavery reparations.

To politically correct “progressives” these might seem no-brainers, but to most Americans they’re brainless. This plays into Trump’s hands, eager to portray Democrats as crazy socialist radicals.

Biden was if anything too timid about separating himself from all that.** He can let the others divide the hard left vote, and scoop up the moderate centrist vote.

But again this election is not about policies. As news commentator Dan Balz said, there’s too much “I have a plan for that,” not enough “I have a vision for America.”

Democrats should be full-throated in defending our fundamental values that Trump is shredding. Only Biden is really focused on that. We’re a nation defined by its motto, e pluribus unum —out of many, one. Enriched by its diversity, an open society, sufficiently confident of itself to welcome the newcomers who refresh our culture, and for full engagement with a globalized world, leading the free nations and standing for what’s right.

Not a society mired in resentful white nationalism. Trump won last time partly on economic populism, but hasn’t delivered on those phony promises, so now he’s going full Monty on racism and cruel xenophobia. This is the battleground he’s chosen.

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Let’s have this battle. Trump is betting that half of Americans, at least, are as hateful as him. The insane political strategy of a deranged fool. I’m betting decency will prevail.

* A point that seemed overlooked is that crossing the border to apply for asylum has never been illegal.

** He even caved on the TPP. Trump’s exiting the TPP was nuts. But Democrats are so muddled themselves about trade policy they failed to criticize the madness.

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