The Left should run on Build Back Better and Abortion in November (1 Viewer)

[The Other Liberal]

If the polls and pundits are right, then Democrats will probably lose control of Congress this November. Blame it on COVID fatigue or inflation Biden's approval ratings continue to worsen. I think progressive Democrats should make this election about missed opportunities in not passing Build Back Better. More importantly with abortion rights in jeopardy this should be an issue too. I don't expect moderate Democrats to go along with any of this. Their determination to be nice and Republican lite won't save them anyway. So, progressives have nothing to lose. They should tell it like it really is about right-wing extremism.

Right wing Republicans backed up by centrist Democrats and the media effectively pushed the false narrative that Biden had given in to left leaning Democrats pushing big spending and big government to " radically " change the country. Wow! What a load of crap. Single Payer healthcare was never part of the agenda. Neither was a Public Option under the existing ACA. Instead, reasonable and necessary things like paid family leave, a $ 15 per hour minimum wage, adding vision, and dental benefits to Medicare were opposed by moderate Democrats and Republicans. Ultimately these things were stripped from Build Back Better which went from 3.5 to 1.7 trillion. Then West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin killed the bill's chances altogether in the Senate.

Abortion rights have been in trouble for a long time as Republican controlled states have passed regulations making it almost impossible to get an abortion. Once again Democrats blew it. For years they tried not to talk about the issue hoping to get socially conservative working-class voters concerned about economic issues. Opposing Republican rhetoric and efforts to end access was considered too controversial. It was deemed culture war divisiveness. Conservatives now have a majority on the Supreme Court and will strike down Roe V. Wade any minute.

Progressives need to make the case that Republicans don't care about working people's economic struggles and they only want to control Womens' bodies. Many of them are in safe districts just like those extremist Republicans who create the problems. As for Democratic moderates who want to act like Republicans they are on their own to lose. The cold hard fact of politics is that people in swing districts who want a conservative will chose a Republican every time over a Democrat acting like a pale imitation. So be it.

 

[zztop]

before the supreme court leak happened, I would say the biggest issue is inflation. Reading a lot about people who were staunch (D) voters but seriously considering voting (R) due to rising costs and the (in my opinion incorrect) myth that (R) are more fiscally responsible.. or something like that

 

[MT15]

It’s very difficult to believe that most R politicians actually care about babies. They appear to ONLY care about the unborn. They don’t care about actual children, nor do they really even care about pregnant women. They 100% voted against health care, against parental leave, against child care tax credits, against universal pre-K.

They voted FOR forcing women pregnant due to rape or incest to give birth to their rapist’s child, though. Even if the pregnant person is a child herself. It’s very hard for me to see this as anything but a war against women. A way to keep women from leaving abusive partners. A way to keep women from breaking out of generational poverty. One state law has even granted the rapist’s family rights to sue to see the child. How is this not a declaration that women don’t matter?

I am going to volunteer to write letters this summer, explaining to voters about the abortion stances of my local, state and national R politicians and their votes on denying actual support to babies once born. It’s an obscenity.

It should be noted that I do not think that moderate Ds (more than a very small handful) act like the OP posits. There are many districts where moderate Ds are the only Ds who can possibly win. But these petty intra-party squabbles are best left alone. Each D knows their district, and represents their own district.

 

[J-DONK]

before the supreme court leak happened, I would say the biggest issue is inflation. Reading a lot about people who were staunch (D) voters but seriously considering voting (R) due to rising costs and the (in my opinion incorrect) myth that (R) are more fiscally responsible.. or something like that

There is a strong case for inflation still being the biggest issue. Social issues are rarely if ever the number 1 issue in an election cycle. Abortion overwhelming impacts only women in the 18-40 age bracket of voters. I have yet to see any evidence of an truly empathetic America that cares about the plight of others.

Joe could help out the party by cancelling student debt.

Edit to add: Joe could also do some five head moves.

Europe needs oil, and for the longterm. American oil companies don't want to produce more for fear of a price drop. Their is an obvious synergy of long term European need financing American oil projects. I'm not sure why this hasn't already been announced.