Democrats Across the Country Need to Wake Up

Last night's election results, especially in the Virginia and New Jersey Gubernatorial races, demonstrate that people are impatient for results, will sour on candidates that speak down on them, and are willing to reward the enemies of Democracy if they do not get what they want.

This should be a wake up call for Democrats across the country. 

While the New Jersey Governors race will probably conclude with Democrat Phil Murphy's reelection, that contest and the Virginia one should not have even been close for their Republican challengers, less than a year after the January 6, 2021 insurrection, to win.

So what went wrong?

1) Progressive and Centrist Democrats in Washington, as Dana Milbank articulated in his post-election Washington Post column, have spent too much time bickering and distrusting each other over the final details of the Build Back Better Plan while holding up passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure plan. While Senators Sinema and Manchin bear the brunt of the responsibility here by scaring progressives into wondering if they would vote for anything in Build Back Better, the real blame is Democrats (including those in the Biden/Harris Administration) wasting precious months going on long recesses and not working with a sense of urgency during the summer to conclude a social infrastructure deal that would have united both sides. Virginia Candidate Terry McAuffile was virtually begging the Democrats to pass the bipartisan infrastructure deal. So was Virginia Senator Mark Warner. They saw what this inaction on this legislation was doing for Democrats' chances with voters, many of whom are exposed to the daily narratives of Democratic infighting from the Washington Press Corps.

2) A case can also be made that McAuffile made the gaffe of the political season by saying, in a debate against now Governor-Elect Youngkin, that parents had no say in shaping their child's education. Even Democratic commentator Van Jones cited that as a crucial mistake for that campaign, especially for mothers across the state.

3) Failure to recognize that polls seem to be not taking into account a group of fringe right Trumpists that are turning out and voting like they did in 2020. There is also the lingering issue of maintaining ties with the rural community. The Republican candidate made up lost ground there in this cycle with the perception (despite his policy positions) that he was not like Donald Trump.

4) While turnout among Democratic groups was relatively high, it was still not as large as Karen Tumulty noted, from the midterms of 2018. While Democratic groups do have a right to be annoyed that the two infrastructure bills have not passed yet, they should have still turned out in greater numbers. It is a shame that these people really have short-term memories and perceptions. Do they not remember that it was the Biden/Harris Administration and Democratic Congress that passed the COVID relief bill which sent $1400 checks to people, provided expanded unemployment insurance, reduced child poverty and unemployment, expanded access to health care, and increased aid to public schools and cities. Do they not remember that it is the Democratic Party that is the only major political entity that is working to punish the Domestic Terrorists who launched the January 6 insurrection and protect Democracy and voter rights. Do they think Glenn Youngkin is different from Donald Trump? His policy statements and media ads that cater to the Republican base suggest he is not. Supporters of the Democratic party need to think about the long term and not just short-term gratification. That attitude just rewards the people that support the anti-democratic and progressive policies the Democratic groups say they are against.

Fortunately, there is some good news from last night (November 2, 2021.) While Governor Murphy will probably pull out a victory in New Jersey, Democratic Mayoral candidates did well across the country in places like New York, Boston, and Pittsburgh.

Democrats won the Congressional special elections in Ohio they were supposed to win.

Perhaps, most important from a messaging standpoint, Minneapolis voters rejected a plan to overhaul that city's police department. While that will not stop Republican operatives from producing false ads saying Democrats do not support police (this coming from the same party that is working to protect the criminals from January 6,) it would have been extremely problematic had it passed.

Democrats have a year to learn from November 2, 2021's results and work to regain and solidify their standing with voters.

There is still an opportunity to make gains in the 2022 elections if they pass the infrastructure bills (especially now that there is an apparent deal on prescription drug prices which Senator Sinema supports,) safeguard voter rights, provide public safety, engage with the voters on both the local and national issues that are important to them, and remind the people about what the Democrats are doing to help them, their families, and the nation.

But they need to wake up and start working on that NOW.