Still months after the election and the shaky start of the President Trump’s term many Americans are left asking the same question they were the night of November 7: how did he win the election? Well the answer to the question is simple. The left does not connect with its base anymore.
Ever since the 1960s when the two main political parties had a major platform switch, the democrats core base has been simple: disenfranchised minorities that their party’s focus on social equality appealed to, and lower income individuals that the social welfare programs benefitted. Both of these platform policies stem from Lyndon B. Johnson’s “Great Society”. However, the Democratic party of today seems far from the party of old and it starts with the leadership.
The party’s principle leadership has seemed to turn a blind eye to the direction that the party is heading in. And I think the recent election is clear evidence of this. The party’s nominee Hilary Clinton is the poster board candidate for establishment ideology. She is also an embattled politician with a rather suspicious past of possible corruption and scandal. Benghazi, which put Clinton at great odds with service-members, the Monica Lewinsky Scandal that occurred during her husband’s presidency, and her email scandal while Secretary of State are just a few.
Yet despite these political drawbacks Clinton still “won” the party’s nomination for the 2016 Election. The reason I put won in quotes is because of the DNC email scandal that revealed possible rigging by then DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in order to provide Clinton with unfair advantages. Clinton beat out Senator Bernie Sanders who in my opinion is an indication of the direction the left is taking. Which is a focus more on providing social and economic equality through the political and economic system of socialism.
The left is part of an overall political machine that is broken, resulting in the gridlock and general frustration that most Americans experience with Washington D.C. But for the first time in eight years the Democrats are not the party of power anymore. During Obama’s administration, they lost control of both the House and the Senate and this past November they lost the White House. Yet it seems members of the left are still hell bent on the idea that nothing is wrong with their party, besides those planning a revolt within the party.
But look at the difference eight years or even four years can make. Obama won his two elections with a coalition of disenfranchised lower class working Americans and minorities along with the Democratic base. Clinton failed to garner the same support which was obvious by her loss of historical blue states in the Rust Belt, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Why was that? Well simply put the people there who had been voting democrats for years felt like Clinton and the Democratic party in general turned their backs on them. And rightfully so, what major campaign stops did Clinton make in these states? I can’t recall any off the top of my head.
The corruption, scandal and cronyism has disconnected the Democrats from their party’s base supporters. Any competent candidate against someone like Trump would have crushed him in the election, yet here we are with President Trump and a republican run government. My message here is simple. Before the Democrats comment on the corruption and dysfunction in our current administration, and I am not saying that its not there, maybe they should look to fix their own party first. Then maybe we can get a government that works for everyone.