The Point of No Return by Thomas Byrne Edsall;

Author:Thomas Byrne Edsall;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2022-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Levitz describes the strategies it might take for the Democrats to stay in power, if they win full control of the government, a counterpoint to the often-repeated contention that demographics will inevitably put Democrats in power.

In that context, Marc Hetherington, a political scientist at the University of North Carolina, wrote, “For about 20 years, Democratic strategists have been arguing that demographic change will soon provide Democrats a durable advantage. They failed to foresee the force of the white backlash against these demographic trends.”

Trump, Hetherington continued, “might well be the last Republican who can win a national election by exploiting race the way he has. But political parties are sophisticated organizations that can and do make strategic adjustments when they need to.”

I came back to Stan Greenberg with a few questions. He remains firm in his conviction that “these are different times.” First of all, he says, the Republican Party is shrinking. Trump has driven “McCain conservatives and socially liberal moderates” out, Greenberg said, leaving “a shattered party that will have trouble mounting opposition to the new president and agenda.”

On the left, Greenberg argues, there is “the unity of liberals and moderate Democrats on issues. Democracy Corps released a memo which showed that an extraordinary number of moderates wanted to tax the rich, for government to play a big role in health care, and address the big gender and race gaps.”

Greenberg also asked rhetorically, “Do you really think the Democratic nominee is going to be running on Medicare for All and do you really think that will be the dominant health care filter when the president is running on abolishing protections for pre-existing conditions and failed to rein in prescription drug costs?”

In conclusion, he put the situation this way: “Look at the change in the country in the proportion who believe there is an unfinished agenda for women and African Americans. A sizable majority believe that—and particularly true for all Democrats and millennials.”

Recent history has shown regular swings back and forth from left to right. Both Democrats and Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated a capacity to self-destruct, but also to reinvent themselves. If Democrats are lucky enough to sweep the elections in 2020, they will face an enormous challenge: maintaining internal cohesion while retaining sustained public support.

This challenge has proved insurmountable in the past, and it may well continue to feel that way—until it is, once again, surmounted.

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