Progressive Democrats and moderate Democrats are more alike in their ideology than dissimilar. They differ mainly in the process of how to reach their policy goals and legislative wins. Both factions of the party support improving the lives of all people, especially those who have suffered through racial, financial, gender, and educational disadvantage. All Democrats care about the issues of humane, constitutional immigration, racial and gender inequality, financial inequality, gun violence, climate change, healthcare, and anti-corruption. Democrats care about our global relationships with allies and keeping our word in agreements we make with those allies. Democrats care about civility, morality, and the freedoms afforded to all citizens and all people legally in this country. All Democrats care about the rule of law.
A concerning factor in this primary season is how the battle for the Democratic nomination for President is becoming contentious in a way that could damage the Party’s ability to unite and defeat Trump. The hostile narrative being put forth by the progressives insinuates that moderate liberals do not share progressive values. The truth is the agendas of both wings of the party prove they both care about improving the lives of the lower, middle class. All Democrats care about the rights of immigrants, the LGBTQ community, the disabled, women, and the elderly. The difference lies in what the process should be in achieving those goals. The progressives favor a radical overhaul approach to changing the existing system. The moderate’s approach to change is more incremental and includes the pursuit of bipartisanship.
The narrative from the progressives that moderates are unethically organizing against Bernie Sanders sounds straight out of the paranoid Trump playbook. They are mislabeling a robust, political preference by the moderates as an unfair coup against their candidate. Creating hostility within our political campaigns just because passionate, rightful differences exist will tear the party apart and hand Trump re-election.
Bernie Sanders is not owed the nomination because of past resentments over the 2016 presidential election. No candidate is ever owed a nomination. Each wing of the party has the right to rally around whomever they feel best represents what they believe is the majority of the Party. Moderates that stand against the progressives winning the nomination should not be interpreted as unethical players. That narrative is what Trump is using at his rallies to present Bernie as a victim of the Democratic Party’s unfair opposition to him. Whether it is true or not, Trump believes Bernie Sanders is the candidate he can beat because of the socialism issue. He is ready to wrongly accuse Bernie of being a Socialist and a Communist, even though he probably doesn’t know what those ideologies mean. Trump supporters believe everything he says, and the moderates are afraid these attacks will guarantee a Trump victory.
Whether that belief is true or not is speculation. But it is crucial the progressives do not accuse the moderates of victimizing their candidate simply because they are fighting against him winning the nomination. Any of the Democratic candidates would restore dignity and stability to our Democracy. Within our differences, the Democrats have to remain united in our mutual goal of ridding the country of the most criminal, lawless person ever to be the U.S. President.
