Progressives Should Be In Democratic Party Leadership

The ink is not yet dry regarding the 2022 midterm elections, but my great fear is that the Democrats will learn nothing. They will believe that the tepid results against the party of lies, hate, and fascism is due to their wonderful performance under Joe Biden. And that the policies that brought out the youth vote, the numerical difference between the red wave and the actual vote, are those of the Democratic establishment.

Well, some of us say not so fast.

It is about time that the Democratic leadership made some space for up and comers.

While I am one of the minority of elders who identifies as a lifetime left activist, I speak with enough young voters to know that the disaster that passes for climate policy has the youth of America terrified for their future. I spoke in front of some local school groups about climate in a push to get a great, youth oriented April 2022 Earth Day in my community. Young people of all ages—very much including older elementary kids—have a lot to say about the future of our planet. And the youth of America is not feeling the love for the current policies.

I have been reading repeated commentaries by Republicans—and even some Democrats—that they had no idea that the Supreme Court’s decision forcing thousands of women to give birth to unwanted children, babies who have no chance of survival outside the womb, fetuses that have died inside the mother, and forcing raped children to give birth would continue to reverberate months after the court stole that right from women. After six years of the media featuring the clueless Trump cult, who will change their opinions on a dime, and who seem to believe any nonsense their leader spews, it is possible that these pundits forgot that there are actually some intelligent, principled people who will not sit idly while the rights of women are eviscerated. Young women and their concerned partners and friends understand that if they tolerate losing one basic right in the area of reproductive choice, it will be birth control next. And then their right to marry who they choose. And then what?