Why Can't a Democrat Be More Like a Republican?

by Irene Daniel

One of my favorite musicals is My Fair Lady, and one of my favorite songs from it is Why Can't a Woman Be More Like a Man? And I started thinking about the Democratic Party, and how it fairs in comparison to the GOP in aggressiveness and political bravado. And I started to wonder, why can't a Democrat be more like a Republican? At least when it comes to boasting of our accomplishments, and bashing our opponent when appropriate? And how about we do that without backing down later because some former Dixiecrat didn't like it when we told the truth? Why can't be as loud with our truth as they are with their falsehoods?

Don't get me wrong. I would never suggest that Democrats abandon common courtesy and professional civility, as Republicans are want to do. The malicious and mis-informative vitriol with which GOP rhetoric is delivered these days is the way of the unenlightened and desperate. As surveys and research have consistently shown, most educated Americans tend to be more progressive. So we are not the unenlightened and we should not be feeling desperate right now because most of the American people agree with us on almost all major issues, i.e., raising the minimum wage, marriage equality, income inequality, government subsidization of poverty over wealth and reasonable gun laws, to name a few.

So, unlike the Republicans, we don't have to change our minds or policies or agendas. Our core principles of equal opportunity and fundamental fairness resonate overwhelmingly with the American people. We are on the right side of history and have been so consistently on social issues for the past fifty (50) years. We needn't abandon our tradition of caring for those who need a hand-up and into the middle-class, nor our habit of speaking up for those who have no other voice to speak truth to power on their behalf. The poor, the elderly, the disabled, the LGBT community, immigrants and nonwhites, and all who have ever found themselves on the outside looking in, having been kicked to the curb by an older, whiter, wealthier and more narrow-minded GOP, are our kind of people.  We need to let them know that we are not sorry for prioritizing their needs. We should be trumpeting our distinctions with the other party because we are the party that cares about everybody -- even rich Republicans. We just don't think they should be allowed to own Congress.

I am appalled when I hear pundits and pols all talk about what a heavy lift it will be for Democrats this year, and how we seem surrendered to allowing the regressiveness of racism and sexism and vitriol of the GOP, to simply take over the entire Congress. And it's only March. The elections aren't until November. How can Democrats simply give up because of all the statistics and the GOP Koch-fest of money? How can the American people believe in us, if we don't even believe in ourselves? How can they have confidence that we are in their corner when they see us unwilling to defend our truth in the midst of GOP lies? I think what a lot of Americans liked about Ronald Reagan was his unwavering bravado, even if he was dead-wrong. Whether I like it or not, Americans like a little tough talk when tough talk is called for -- like election season.

Democrats need to get after it! We need to say what we mean and mean what we say; and we especially need to not back down when the other party starts to whine and accuse and blame. We need to stand up to them and match them toe-to-toe. We need to be more aggressive politically and attack Republicans where they are vulnerable: income inequality, voting rights, immigration, marriage equality, racial issues and their attacks on Social Security and Medicare. The GOP's most reliable voter is the older white voter. You know the one, the voter who is dependent upon Social Security and Medicare -- brought to you by The New Deal and The Great Society. Why are Democrats not more forceful in pointing out that Republicans never liked these programs and will continue to try to abolish them all together at every chance they get? All we have to do is tell the truth. Why aren't we trumpeting our truth from the rooftops?

We do the American people a disservice when we permit the GOP message of mistruths and half-truths to go unchallenged. We do our constituencies a disservice when we back down from our message because of the screaming vitriol of the GOP spewers of hatred that we get in response to our message of hope. Senator Harry Reid said the other day that the Koch brothers were un-American. He is right and should not back down, no matter what garbage Fox News spews about. Buying the entire American government in order to implement policies that benefit only the wealthy is inherently un-American. Turning your back on early childhood education in the poorest areas of our nation is not only un-American, but woefully unchristian as well. We need to be unrelenting in calling out the Republicans on their hypocrisy, ignorance and greed. We, the Democrats, fritter away America's future when we fail to meet their lies with truth, their hatred with love and their darkness with the light of the 21st century.

And why can't we emulate conservative Republicans in their commitment to consistently showing up at the polls, even in mid-terms, local and special elections; which are actually often the most immediate in their effect on our daily lives. We outnumber them. There are more of us than there are of them, and this trend will only continue; especially if Republicans continue to ignore and/or insult the nonwhite, non-hetero, non-wealthy and disenfranchised among us. Why aren't we knocking on all Democratic, and potentially Democratic, doors and informing our fellows of their opportunity and responsibility as citizens to suit up and show up when it matters most?

If Republicans keep control of the house, as expected, and take control of the Senate as well, I have no doubt that the next two years will be consumed with impeachment proceedings and little else. Regardless of the outcome, regardless of what happens to the American people and our economy, what Republicans in Congress want more than anything else is to discredit President Obama. I do not consider it a coincidence that so much open hostility and disrespect has been directed at our first African-American President by an older, whiter and just plain meaner Republican party. They want to bring him down, no matter what.

And it is up to Democrats to come out swinging, taking no prisoners in this very important mid-term election. It is up to the Democratic party to inspire Americans to simply choose higher. Choose the future over the past, inclusion over division, peace over war and fairness over exploitation.

We have the winning message in a sea of  misinformation and confusion. It is up to us to make it clear.