In recent days we’ve suffered a rash of visits from some Ghosts of Democrats Past. Various commenters, presenting themselves as “centrist” or “moderate” or “blue collar,” have argued that full-bore liberalism will cause other people — not them, mind you, but other people — to react by voting for Republicans.
The product of this mind trap is a perfect catch-22: We have to fight to win, but if we do, it will backfire and we lose. There’s something wrong with this logic, but what?
Josh Marshall nails it: “Treat it as a first principle,” he writes. “It’s not wrong because of any particular factual reasoning. It must be wrong because it leads to inaction and defeatism.”
Let’s take the “Abolish ICE” slogan. I’m agnostic on whether this is precisely the right tack. But I’m inclined to think it is since on the merits I really do think we should abolish ICE as currently constituted and create a new immigration service that is not structured around paramilitary enforcement and isn’t so prone to abuses. I hear a lot about it’s better to say “reform ICE” or “thoroughly change the way we enforce immigration laws.” No. Electoral politics is far less about particular policies than it is about meta-messages about clarity and power. … If your political language tiptoes around what you think or shows you’re not quite sure what you think or shows that you know what you think but may not be willing to act on what you think, that … signals weakness and irresolution.
But he also cautions:
[I]t’s not at all clear to me that interrupting cabinet secretaries’ dinners accomplishes anything productive besides emotive satisfaction for protestors and diehard anti-Trump voters. Unlike “Abolish ICE” it doesn’t signal a clear policy goal. It’s mainly about emoting. It is important to evaluate every tactic and strategy for what it actually gains. What Democrats need now isn’t training sessions on civility or better ways to finesse language. They need to find the most effective ways to fight and then throw everything into it.
His piece has more insights into effectively fighting Trumpism, but I don’t want to violate fair use. Go read it and get liberated.