In writing in the New York Times On Monday, the old Democratic political strategist James Carville sketched a compelling message for Democrats to unite for the Mid -Terms of 2026.
Carville urged Democrats to postpone the ‘civil war’ that will eventually burst out between the moderate and progressive wings of the party, and to flow together around a single ‘oppositional message’ that fully concentrated on the withdrawal of President Donald Trump.
With all due respect for Mr Carville, his myopic focus on a strategy to resist Trump above all is just too narrow to be really effective.
Carville has urged Democrats to postpone the ‘civil war’ that will eventually burst out between the moderate and progressive wings of the party. (Politicon YouTube Channel/Politics War Room)
In other words, a democratic agenda that is fully built around withdrawing the Republican agenda can be sufficient for 2026, but it is far short of what Democrats should do if they hope to take back the White House in 2028.
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Indeed, nowhere in the Times piece is a description of the actual policy that Democrats should continue as an alternative to what Republicans offer next year or in three years.
There are no calls for a completely new economic agenda, one that replaces the tendency of Democrats for dissolute expenses with a more tax conservative plan aimed at managing the debt, while also protecting the social safety net.
In many respects, Democrats today have to look at former President Bill Clinton, who was able to reduce the debt, to leave a budget surplus and still protect vital social programs.
Moreover, the word “immigration” is not even mentioned.
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To that end, as Democrats hope to take back more than just one room from the congress, the party needs an agenda that prioritizes to securing the border, combined with a road to citizenship for legal migrants and dreamers.
And although I agree with Mr Carville that the midterms will be decided on the basis of problems with a kitchen table instead of foreign policy, this does not mean that Democrats can afford to ignore this issue.
As a party, Democrats must promote an agenda that positively claims democratic values at home and abroad.
This means that the faith of extremely left – and increasingly the far right – is rejected that every use of American power is inherently poor.
Certainly, formulating a completely new democratic agenda takes time. And it will require the rise of moderate candidates at a time when the victory of Zohran Mamdani in New York City has ratified the progressive wing of the party.
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Nevertheless, as the 2024 elections made it clear, Democrats cannot afford to run from the center to the left. What the party needs is a candidate who can win, not a chosen because they have passed the ideological purity test of progressives.
Interestingly, Carville mentions former President Clinton as a figure who emerged in 1992 as the “savior” of Democrats.
But Clinton could do this because, at a time when the party went further to the left, Clinton dragged the party to the middle to the economy and crime.
Finally, the core of Carville’s message – “We demand a withdrawal” of the agenda of Trump – over the head of the core factor behind whom Americans cast a vote.
Voters choose candidates who have plans and policy that will improve their lives.
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Slogans, no matter how catchy, may work for the midterms, but if Democrats do not deliver the actual change between 2026 and 2028, the unlikely voters will trust them.
Simply put, voters want a strong economy, safe streets, a government that is not excitedly blown up and protects borders, not candidates whose only agenda opposes the president.
This does not mean that the agenda described by Carville will not be successful next year – it is very good.
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On the contrary, it is to point out that even if the Democrats helps to reclaim the house of representatives, it will not be enough to take the White House back in 2028.
For this, the party must promote its own agenda, one that tackles the above issues and actually offers a real, viable alternative to the Trump-GOP agenda.
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