America needs a new champion

It was only a matter of time before the Trump administration unraveled. Less than a year into this administration, we’ve seen the FBI raid the home of Paul Manafort, President Trump’s former campaign manager. We’ve seen two grand juries impaneled to investigate the most senior members of the Trump administration. We’ve seen the effort to repeal and replace ObamaCare, a process that Republicans have promised their supporters they would do in the first 100 days, fail miserably. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) now looks to be on his way out, and the approval ratings for the president are at an all-time low. Let’s not kid ourselves. The Republican Party as we know it is on the cusp of a historic collapse.

The time for Democrats to reemerge is now. The time for Democrats to rise from the dumpster fire that was the 2016 election is now. That’s not going to happen by petty squabbling and name calling, though. That’s not going to happen by attacking the credentials of the rising stars in our party. That’s not going to happen by demanding ideological purity as a prerequisite for membership, and it’s certainly not going to happen by continuing the type of insider, buddy-buddy nepotism that has suppressed ideological debate and pushed moderates into the arms of Republicans and Independents. It’s time for Democrats to make a change.

Most Democrats can agree that Trump is unprepared and uninterested in meeting the standards of the men who have assumed the office of the presidency for more than 200 years. Most Democrats can agree that Trump is unethical and operates on a level unseen in this political arena (which says a lot), but what Democrats haven’t agreed upon is what comes next. What’s our plan for leading the country?

{mosads}Democrats have to be about something moving forward. Democrats have to give the American people a reason to vote for them, not just a reason to vote against Trump. If that sounds familiar, it’s because I screamed the same thing during the general election, but somehow I went unheard. It’s not enough for Democrats to throw out policy considerations that sound smart to the casual observer. We have to explain why the battle of ideas matters and the impact that these decisions have on our daily lives.

It’s not enough for Democrats to only talk to people whom we agree with and who see the world exactly as we do. We have to get on the ground in deep red states and begin to understand what makes voters on the other side tick. Democrats can’t fall into the trap of getting stuck in an echo chamber. We have to speak to our base while expanding our mandate. We have to step outside of our comfort zone. We have to speak to the people who haven’t ever considered voting for us.

I’m often criticized by Democrats for regularly appearing on Fox News. “Why would you do that?” they ask. My answer is always the same when I say, “We have to reach out to every American and make our case.” I don’t agree with most of the things said on Fox News, but I appreciate the opportunity to offer an alternative viewpoint to the millions of viewers who tune into the network every day. It’s not enough to only show up to churches during campaign season or take pictures and kiss babies while running for election. It’s not just about winning a single election. We also have to be able to govern. As Republicans are quickly learning, winning doesn’t equal governing.

It’s time we invest in the American people. We’ve invested billions of dollars in the corporate and finance sectors, while Main Street still needs help. If Wall Street can get a bailout, then so can the citizens of this country. For years, we’ve allowed our schools to fail. For years, we’ve allowed our roads and bridges to crumble. For years, we’ve allowed other countries to retrain their workers to meet the demands of a 21st century marketplace while ours fall behind. These practices have to end. No American should be bankrupted by hospital bills or have to rely on the emergency room as a substitute form of insurance. We’re the richest country in the world. We’re better than that.

It’s time for Democrats to make a new deal with America. One built on the promise of lifting up the poor and building a bridge to the middle class. One built on the guarantee that in the world’s richest country, we can meet not only our financial obligations but our moral obligations as well. We need a new deal built on the principle that for far too long, the rich have gotten richer while the poor have gotten poorer.

It’s not the executive in the top bracket who needs another lobbyist championing his or her interests, it’s the parent wondering why he or she has a 40-hour work week and still can’t afford to put a child through college who needs a champion. It’s not the Goldman Sachs investor making seven figures who needs another politician championing his or her interests, it’s the factory worker or bus driver putting in backbreaking work every day who needs a champion.

If Republicans want to be the party of Donald Trump and Ayn Rand, then let them. Their policies have a failing track record that has historically caused wages to fall and unemployment to rise. Democrats have a track record of improving the life of all Americans, and it’s about time we remind the country of that fact.

Michael Starr Hopkins is an attorney and former member of the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. He regularly appears on Fox News and CNN to talk about national politics. You can follow him on Twitter @TheOnlyHonest.

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