Senator Schumer's Hobson's Choice and Democrats' Divisions

Some of us are more ignorant than others

The Chess Game by Sofonisba Anguissola 1555

I think Schumer did the right thing. I think he is a better chess player than most of us. I think he weighed the alternatives and made a bitter choice. And I think he will get even. Oh, yes.

I know that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is more savvy than any of us about the way to assess a political situation and the ramifications, and she stated clearly that Schumer should have fought. I bow to Nancy's savvy. She kept her head while the January 6 rioters were hunting for her, with murder intended. She was able to convince a sitting President that his time was over. History will show that Nancy Pelosi has saved the United States more often than we know, and that none can match her in the Aikido of Washington power.

But I think what we really see is that the Democratic Party is deeply divided, both in the rank and file (that's us) and in the elected representatives. We have “moderates” meeting at retreats where they spend time writing lists of things that are bad and wrong with progressive policies, and progressives getting run over on social media and on talk shows, and young people saying you all ignorant and useless. And we have a whole lot of well-meaning, hurt, angry, sincere Democrats who don’t know how to understand the arithmetic Senator Schumer was facing, but who do feel betrayed.

I think this division is what we need to address.

I think we need a team of leaders right now, Congressman Jared Huffman, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Mark Kelly, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, to barnstorm the United States, and hold town halls via zoom and in person.

And I think they should say to the people "You are shouting at us that you can't stand higher prices. You are shouting that you need Medicare, and Social Security, and Veterans' assistance. You have been telling us and telling us and you are telling us and telling us that we need to work for our citizens getting left behind while prices rise and rich people get tax breaks. And we hear you plain and clear. And we have to ask you now if you want us to do one thing, and that is Tax The Rich. Yes or no? Because if you do want us to Tax The Rich, then we need to have more people in Congress who will commit to Taxing The Rich. We can’t Tax The Rich without the votes. You are the voters. We need you to Tax The Rich."

Then introduce the candidates for the district, who will say "You know me. You know where I live and how I vote. If you send me to Congress I will go with your demand. Tax The Rich. And that's what I will work to do."

We do NOT need to worry right now about who is going to be our presidential candidate 4 years from now and we do not need to worry about getting primaried from the right. This is the leadership the people demand now.

That's what I think.

What do you think?