Trump will get re-elected if liberals, progressives, and centrists don’t do this
Pragmatism matters.
In the wake of Gallup’s recent poll, taken from January 16–29 that has the political world up in arms in glee or despair, could be taken as the start of something or a whole lot of nothing.
It could be the start of an upswing among support for the incumbent — nearly 9 out of every 10 Republicans support him and Gallup noted an upswing in support for the Republican Party in its poll. On the other hand, Trump still languishes behind every major Democratic candidate and more recent polls taken by Morning Consult, NBC News/Wall Street Journal, Investors Business Daily (IBD) paint a much, much less favorable light for him.
Impeachment has proven to be divisive as just about everyone warned it would be, with half of Americans saying that he should be convicted and removed and the other half of Americans saying that he shouldn’t be. We’re getting to a point of extreme polarization, where half of the country will never accept what the other half wants.
As a liberal, centrist Democrat, there’s few that despise the President more than me. I don’t think anyone hates Donald Trump and the Republican Party as a whole than me. I think he is boorish, moronic populist that legitimized the “control by any means necessary” approach of the Republican Party. The party is an impotent and regressive motley crew of enablers; no longer masquerading as defenders of classical liberal ideals, they have completely embraced right-wing authoritarian populism.
In any event, I do see the writing on the wall. There’s a very good chance Trump could get re-elected. Not by his own merit, but because Republicans began to embrace the one thing that had been a hallmark of the “new”, post-1994 Democratic Party: pragmatism.
Protest voting was enough to swing the election in the Midwest and the Rust Belt. This was a mix of personal pride and conviction, along with probably a belief that if the country could endure a Civil War, Jim Crow, the turbulent late 1960s, and the early 2000s, it could endure a Trump presidency. (And, too the belief that Trump couldn’t possibly win.)
However, just as Jason Chaffetz reverse course after the infamous Access Hollywood tape; just like Ted Cruz became a loyal sycophant after having his wife and father insulted; just as Lindsey Graham came around after calling him a “kook”, Republicans and Republican-leaning voters made a very simple calculus. Trump offered a leg-up in the cultural war, policies that catered to them, and sociopolitical control. Thus, he attracted 63 million voters, outperformed expectations in rural areas, and became the unexpected 45th President of the United States.
Today’s Republican Party and Republican voter is either populist or authoritarian — anyone parroting a classical liberal, fiscally conservative but socially liberal, or libertarian line while still supporting the President is a fucking liar. But they are pragmatic. And they know what’s at stake.
The story is not the class warfare that Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and the progressives argue; it’s not even the story of generational change that Pete Buttigieg is calling for; the story is culture and feelings, not so much position and policy.
The abortion debate? Culture. Racial debate? Culture. Xenophobia? Cultural, too. Even the fight for more human policies is more cultural than political.
The right has proven that it is more than willing to be a real life “villain” to those that they see as “liberal”, “leftist”, or “progressive”, if it means to achieve their goals, assert their dominance, and establish control. From racist gerrymandering in North Carolina and Texas to basically excusing Trump’s abuse of the Executive Branch with the botched Ukraine political hit job, the right can and will use any means necessary to maintain power.
And there’s going to be plenty of voters that bargain that it is more important to ensure that someone on “their team” stays in power than someone on that “other team” gets into power; even to the point they become blatant hypocrites to the principles that they claim to stand for. Pragmatism is just that damn powerful.
It goes without saying, sadly, that the argument in favor of appealing to our better angels is a waste of time; to insist that we’re better than this just may be a waste of effort, too. By November 3, nearly 66 million Americans are going to once again vote for Donald Trump serving a second term. Regardless of the policies, regardless of the lying, and regardless of the debasement of the Executive Branch and American government overall.
The Right does have an extensive coalition — just like the Democratic Party of the New Deal era did and it is important that those that are against the extremist right-wing are aware of this. Even reasonable, thoughtful individuals who you think would never in their right mind support an administration like Trump’s would probably be willing to do so — if it is in their pragmatic interest. I even heard a liberal Democrat say that that she’s willing to give Trump a chance thanks to her tax break as a small business owner.
Throughout American history, we have long believed that good ultimately prevailed. The North won the Civil War, ending slavery and establishing the supremacy of the federal government; minorities have had their rights as citizens affirmed by progressive legislation and decisive court victories; society is more free; never before has one had this great of an opportunity to determine their own course and worth in life.
But humanity is a see-saw. We’ll go forth, then take two steps back, before we have to take three steps forward.
So my message to my fellow liberals, centrists, and progressives is simple — we have to form a coalition. Some of us may not agree on certain aspects of policies, but I think we’re all at least willing to listen to each other. The media will understandably chase a narrative to fill airwaves — just look at what the fuck has been the coverage surrounding Iowa — but we cannot afford to lose sight of what’s at stake here.
Trump has consolidated support of voters that sympathize, at varying levels, with right-wing policies and a right-wing worldview. With an imminent acquittal from his impeachment, he is going to be armed with a level of power never before seen in American history. A populist, authoritarian demagogue will be able to weaponize the entire federal establishment to its limits if it helps him achieve domestic political goals. And he’ll have more than 11 full months to do so.
It’s time to us, as Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters, to recognize that pragmatism is not only a good thing, it’s going to be essential if our country, our culture, and our overall humanity, is going to be saved from an all assured nadir.
