Mitch Landrieu says Democrats have a problem. Up against the awfullest regime in U.S. history, they actually seem the less popular. Losing connection to the working class voters who were their traditional mainstay.
Who no longer see Dems as serving them. Instead, the educated classes that now dominate the party intellectually seem off on tangents like gender identity issues and sticking it to the rich. Maybe even abortion. Not what Joe Sixpacks really worry about — rather, “kitchen table” issues, how their families can get by economically. Even non-whites are more immediately concerned about that than racial stuff (kind of a given in their lives).
Trump convinced them he had their backs. Instead he’s stabbed them there, eviscerating their health care and other help, to give tax breaks to millionaires. They don’t hate rich people; just want a fair deal for themselves. But feel the system is broken.
Landrieu calls himself a “social justice warrior,” not in the way of left-wingers, but with respect to the kinds of points made above. Getting the party’s head there is his current effort.
Landrieu was the post-Katrina mayor of New Orleans. Beyond the obvious challenges, he also undertook to rid the city of its monuments honoring Confederates — monuments to racism. More contentious than might have been imagined, but he saw it through.
He gave a terrific speech explaining that moral necessity, and wrote a book about it. Impressed me tremendously. Then we briefly met him twice, and he was so gracious it increased my admiration.
Having studied politics for 60 years, I’ve judged that the best and strongest candidate Democrats could next nominate for president would be Landrieu. Stating the obvious, a straight white male (so losing no votes Dems can’t afford); articulate and eloquent; but a plain-speaking common-sense man of the center with a real down-to-earth human touch. And he physically looks the part, which matters. Trump’s political strength derives partly from simply looking powerful. Landrieu does too.
MAGAs may bring up the Confederate statue stuff against him. Let them. Ceding the moral high ground. Have Americans (or most of them) really so lost it?
I had been thinking about composing an e-mail to Landrieu, urging him to run. (Not that I’m some macher.) Then, lo, comes an e-mail from him, saying he’ll be in New York and would like to get together!
We wound up zooming. Landrieu took me and my wife through the points recapped above. Also quoted from my blog, and even engaged about her poetry doings. Maybe prepped by staffers (as my daughter suggests); but still, such personalized attention to detail bespeaks a deeply serious man.
Of course this was about money. We did agree to a donation to his operation (though rather less than the ask — for now at least).
And I reiterated my encouragement for a presidential run. Acknowledging he’d start out “at the back of the pack;” but maybe his candidacy’s merits would shine through. Though noncommittal, he said he may do it.
O be swift my soul to answer him,
Be jubilant my feet!
