The Democratic Party: An Uneasy Alliance

The Democratic party's inability to move past the 2016 defeat and agree upon a cohesive message moving forward has given rise to a cottage industry of "think pieces" by racially isolated suburbanites who believe the biggest obstacle to their progressive economic agenda is social justice. 


These articles get published every few weeks anywhere leftist ideas are disseminated. The theoretical underpinnings of these "progressive" screeds hinge on the faulty notion that the Democratic party could abandon issues of importance to minority communities and maintain the same level of electoral support from these constituencies. This is a fallacy. The moment the Democratic party becomes indistinguishable from the Republican party on social issues apathy and disenchantment with the political process will reduce minority voter turnout.

When well-meaning suburbanites reduce political matters connected to identity ​to an inconvenience it creates dissention where none is needed. There are factions inside progressive politics willing to wager that pushing social justice to the back burner will entice more working-class white voters to leave the Republican party. This is also fallacy. Yes, there were Trump voters who previously supported Barack Obama, but they, like many dyed in the wool conservatives, were not waiting for scholarly arguments about Keynesian economic policies. Donald Trump sold them the idea that he could end the era of political correctness and multiculturalism. We have to be honest about how appealing that promise was to people made uncomfortable by America's changing demographics.  

The Democratic party is like a community that has undergone a major expansion. It grew big, but it didn't grow closer. The smaller our circle was the more we identified with those inside it, but as our community/party got bigger we found ourselves walled off from each other living in our own insular communities. Many of the authors of these articles suffer from living in a small circle. It's hard for some of them to understand how damaging their words are. When progressives view social justice and the economic interests of minority communities as distinctly different from the economic hardships working-class whites face it almost assures both problems will continue.


Just like every family has secrets, political parties also push hard truths to the side. There are progressives asking people of color and members of the LGBTQIA community to ignore systemic racism and bigotry. These allies are asking us to place their economic program ahead of our existence in America. This approach centers white feelings. No one would tolerate a doctor telling them that ignoring their pneumonia is a viable treatment for it, yet this is how some on the left seek to treat discrimination.

The left's electoral future will be bleak if ignoring the suffering of the Democratic party's most loyal constituency becomes an acceptable strategy. Democrats already have horrible mid-term election participation. There's no need to give social activists a reason to stay home. The Democratic party has to walk and chew gum at the same time. We have to stand strong against bigoted policies while offering progressive policies that make it easier to get access to capital, education and healthcare. Justice for people on the underside of institutional racism, sexism and class structures isn't negotiable.