Blue Whirlpool: Where the Democratic party lacks
By: John Powers
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Tulsi Gabbard, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden

Don’t be fooled by the raging celebration of resistance liberals due to Joe Biden’s victory. This election was not a blue wave. Hopes of an earth-shattering blue wave came crashing down as soon as President Trump won Florida. Surprisingly, though, over 60 % of Florida voters passed a $15-dollar minimum wage. On the same night in Florida, an exit poll conducted by Fox News showed that 72% of Americans favored a “government run health care plan”. Clearly, then, the centrist policy direction of the Democratic party is somewhat not in line with what Americans want. Why is this? Because the Democratic party is bought out by corrupt special interests and donors. Yes, Biden won. However, this does not mean that the centrist strategy is iron clad. In fact, many centrist house members, such as members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group committed to prioritizing bipartisanship, national defense, and fiscal responsibility, lost their seats. In response, Blue Dog Democrat Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), who won her race by a measly 1.82%, advocated against policies like defunding our police and using the term “socialism.”

While in some swing districts this strategy is vital, it must always be accompanied by a strong economic and anti-establishment message with bold leadership. Look no further than Max Rose, a congressman who represents New York’s 11th congressional district. He lost his bid for a second term and trailed his opponent, Nicole Malliotakis, by 6.2%.

Flipping the reddest district in New York City in 2018, Rose rejected federal lobbyist money and ran on an anti-establishment platform. Sadly, as congressman, Rose he joined the corporate Blue Dog caucus, spent time trashing progressives, and virtue-signaled by marching with Black Lives Matter protesters instead of fighting against the establishment. It is clear why he was rejected by voters. The centrist strategy did not work for the senate either. Even if democrats pull off two wins in Georgia, Blue Dog senators, Krysten Sinema and Joe Manchin, could easily join the Republicans on many votes. One solution to this conundrum Joe Biden and others offer is bipartisanship, which is feasible. After all, Democrats and Republicans worked together to vote for the appalling Iraq war and to pass the disastrous North American Free Trade Agreement. What’s more, if we cannot count on Democrats to enact bold economic legislation, America could become democratically controlled Virginia, which passed the “Virginia Values Act,” an important LGBTQ nondiscrimination law modeled on the “Equality Act.” While this was a huge step forward for Virginia, and the south as a whole, Virginia remains the absolute worst state for workers’ rights. It’s a bleak future if Democrats continue to favor social issues over economic issues, instead of treating them both with importance. So, what should we take away? Fundamentally, we have to decide if we want a blue wave or a blue whirlpool. If we want the blue wave, we must unite against the corporate elite and establishment as Americans. Being less bold and more moderate like Max Rose doesn’t win elections, but neither does radical left wokeness.