Democrats are settling into a rewarding season of opposition. With Republicans blindsided by losses in Virginia and New Jersey, the party has found great success in being the ‘other.’ Leaning into a routine that has long benefited their Republican counterparts, the Democratic party has branded itself as the only viable alternative to the Trump administration — and it’s working.
Republican silence on Trump has become a given, transforming into a punchline that hasn’t been funny for months. For most rank-and-file members, it would be enough to escape with decent poll numbers. Major policy changes are a dream of the past. Faced with conflicting party loyalties and policy agendas, Republicans have lost any say on the runaway train of that is the presidential office.
Now is the time for a unified, Democratic leadership to rise up. But the new opposition party has been largely uncoordinated in their condemnation of Trump. Party leaders are prone to infighting and public disagreements, serving only to further the divides of the 2016 primaries. In condemning Trump, however, these divisions virtually disappear — leading to great successes in the Virginia and New Jersey elections, for instance.
In spirit of Wisconsin Idea, students should attend political indoctrination lecture
Far from silent, the Democratic party has been unquestionably critical of our new president — but how far does opposition truly go?
The answer lies somewhere within the cracked platform of the Republican party. For the eight years of the Obama presidency, Republicans successfully pulled off the most unifying bout of obstruction and opposition humanly possible. One could joke that the new GOP was built on opposing Obama’s every move — if the reality weren’t so painfully accurate.
Now, faced with a political majority and a Republican-esque president in office, Republicans can have their cake and eat it too. But there’s little cake-eating going on. In fact, there’s virtually none.
Faced with numerous failed attempts at repealing Obamacare —- a common campaign refrain for every GOP hopeful — an attempt at tax reform is the only redeeming strategy left in the box. In this, too, Republicans seem likely to fail.
When listing Republican accomplishments, SNL’s depiction of Mike Pence says it best: “Nominated Neil Gorsuch.” End of sentence.
The Republican party has been one of opposition for far too long. Faced with broadened political power, they have discovered that the only thing unifying them is their dislike for the other side. Now, without a political accomplishment in sight, this status has come back to haunt them. Once emboldened by this tactic, Conservative voters are pulling their support and donations as it fails to fulfill campaign promises.
Democratic party officials and presidential hopefuls have much to learn from their friends across the aisle. Opposition status — while beneficial in the short term — will do nothing for successful party leadership, nor its direction. Trump’s actions are soft targets for condemnation and outrage. Working together to be proactive — and not reactive — is far more difficult.
By ignoring party divides in favor of opposing the Republican party, Democrats falling into the same trap as their opponents. Glossing over disagreements between Sanders and Clinton supporters will only hamstring Democrats in 2018, and impede any hopes of nominating a presidential candidate that the party can rally behind.
When it comes time to work on policy and reforms, Democrats will undoubtedly find that a hatred of Donald Trump’s administration will only bridge gaps so far. A unifying party message and platform must come from within the DNC, underlined by action that doesn’t begin at election season.
If Democrats aim to surpass their fellow congressmen and regain control of the Government, they must learn from the GOP’s mistakes. Presidential hopefuls must build unity from the ground up, reasserting the platform of the Democratic party in a way that will make it sustainable beyond the next election cycle.
Julia Brunson ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in history.
