Some Common Sense Observations about Democrats

I, a New York Democrat, assert – with little fear of contradiction – that two New York City Democrats – Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader – are the most soporific (sleep-inducing, boring) politicians in the entire country.  In addition, one would be hard-pressed to identify what these two high-ranking Democrats actually stand for.  Well, maybe, “we don’t like Donald Trump” and “we’re not Republicans.”  Not exactly a winning platform.

In contrast to these so-called “moderate” Democrats, we have the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) crew of “progressive” or “far-left” Democrats.  Not only are they not boring speakers, but they surely DO know what they stand for.  And therein lies a huge problem for Democrats in the near and far future.  Who is entitled to call themselves Democrats?  The faceless moderates or the fire-breathing DSA crew?

The DSA crowd are NOT really all that radical.  Their creed includes universal health care, a minimum wage, Pro-Choice, and higher taxes on the super-wealthy.  Not exactly fringe ideas, or socialistic ideas.  More like FDR Democrats.  Or ideas that most American voters embrace.

But DSA candidates embrace “socialism,” it’s in their name!  As they are typically very young, they may be forgiven for embracing socialism – a real economic system – while not having a clue as to what it really means or understanding its history of failures (Economics 101).

ALL (NO exceptions!) industrial nations in the world have “mixed economic systems” with capitalism at their core and lots of socialistIC programs that keep the working class from violent revolution.

Now to (DSA’s) Israel and antisemitism.

Support for Israel has been a bipartisan agreement for decades among Congress and Americans.  More recently, since at least Hamas declared war on Israel on October 7th, 2023, our own country’s elite college freshmen have chosen a different identity: to be pro-Hamas and anti-Israel.  There are two things that can be said about most young people: they are idealistic, and they are ignorant.  And so it goes with young DSA Democrats.  Their idealism causes them to root for the underdog.  And no way can the state of Israel in 2026 still be counted as a (military) underdog (despite two thousand years of being the world’s favorite scapegoat).  As to their youthful ignorance, I would ask them two questions.  “Do you think that you will be smarter and wiser in ten and twenty years than you are now?”  For those who say YES, I would follow up with, “Then explain why in today’s America, the older you are, the more likely that you are pro-Israel.”  Older people may or may not be smarter than younger people, but they have lived through more history than their younger brethren; they have more history to base their biases on.  All that young people see is death in Gaza. And devastation in Gaza.  They put aside the fact that Hamas, the Palestinian people’s (illegal?) ruling political party, started a war.  Which makes Israel’s (over the top?) reaction to said war into an act of (defensive) war, not a genocide.  If you still insist it is a genocide, explain why it is the only case in history where 3% (Gaza’s own estimate) of a population was killed in nearly three years of carnage.  And explain why nearly 2 million Muslims living in Israel identify more with Israel than with Gaza’s Muslims.

But, in order to remain a relevant political party, old guard Democrats must change: what DSA Democrats stand for, most Americans stand for, and they need to join the fight.  As for the antisemitic DSA Democrats, they need to shut up about Israel for a few years and learn some history. 

A final note.

I stand with AIPAC regarding its mission, which is excellent relations between the state of Israel and the United States of America. But the fact is, at this moment their brand is toxic. Every time they support a candidate, that candidate loses (votes if not elections).  In addition, they seem to support candidates who are friendly to Trump.  So, not only should AIPAC take a five year vacation, if they do so Democrats have a better chance of winning elections.  And the DSA will have one less talking point to attack more moderate Democrats with, as main stream Democrats turn left.

Donald Trump just called we Democrats – officeholders and voters – Communists.  He is preparing his faithful for an American Holocaust.