No Matter Who the Winner Is, the Real Losers Are the Left
Biden might have to betray Bernie and co.
Again, Trump has defied all odds. And again, the pollsters were wrong. The presidential election proved to be more competitive than expected. Given Trump’s unpopularity, some people expected that there could be a blue wave. As this article is published, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia are still in play for both candidates. Meanwhile, as voter turnout has broken records, Trump has also managed to increase his base. In 2016, his popular vote was just above 61 million votes. Now, Trump’s popular vote is at more than 70 million votes and counting. His popular vote is more than Clinton’s votes in 2016. So, what does this mean? This means that no matter who the winner of the presidential election is, the real losers are the left.
If Trump wins the election, the political map will not change. The capital is still divided with a Republican president, Republican Senate, and a Democratic House. In addition, the configuration of the Supreme Court after the appointment of Justice Barrett is now leaning conservative. So, it is expected that everything will be harder for the progressive movement. Roe v. Wade is at risk of being overturned. Gender equality and reproductive rights are at threat. Obamacare is on the way to be repealed. Racial injustice will not be addressed properly, while racial tension might grow further. And environmental issues would be forgone for the interest of the oil and mining industry. In other words, it would be four more years of Donald Trump.
But if the left is hopeful for a Biden administration, then they are wrong. As this article is published, it is projected that the Republicans would retain the Senate. Meanwhile, Democrats would only have a narrow majority in the House of Representative. Also, the configuration of the Supreme Court still leans conservative. And as Trump has managed to increase his base, the Republican Party must redefine itself to cater to Trump’s base and move further to the right. So, even if Biden is president, he would be forced to compromise with Trump’s Republicans and moved to the center of the political spectrum. Therefore, Biden might have to ditch progressive Democrats to get things done. As a result, Bernie’s base and left Democrats could be alienated from their own party. And at stake are the Green New Deal, universal healthcare, free education, and other progressive agenda.
But this does not have to be the case. If any, Biden’s failure to win a landslide should be proof that the days of center Democrats are over. Hence, left Democrats should take Congressional leadership from Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Should House Democrats choose to take Pelosi up, they must not replace her with a moderate party member. Again, the moderates have failed. So, progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could be a possible alternative. One might argue that she is too young, but who cares? The era of political seniority is over. Now is the era of political ideas — Trump proves.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders is the best fit to replace Chuck Schumer as Senate minority leader. His idea of a social welfare for all is popular amongst voters that it led to his successful primaries in 2016 and 2020. Also, the Democratic elites owe him for denying his bid for the White House in 2016 and 2020. If Bernie was the Democratic nominee instead of Clinton, Trump might not have won in 2016. If Bernie was the Democratic nominee instead of Biden, the blue wave might have happened this year.
This strategy might be too extreme for the Democratic establishment. But the era of center politics is over and begins the era of populist politics. Trump’s populist movement has shifted the Republican base to the right. So, there is no use to try to compromise with the Republicans.
Furthermore, the idea that Biden can be a dealmaker in Washington DC because he is an experienced politician is nonsense. The American political establishment must also forget that politics must be civil and respectful. Trump is not civil and respectful, but he is doing well with voters. Why? Because voters desire for leaders who can fight for them. As a result, Democrats must kick start their own populist movement with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as their new faces.
