It's the Economy. It's the Economy.
Many in the Democratic base are frustrated that their party isn't pounding away at Donald Trump over his attacks on the rule of law, academic independence and decency. That's not quite the case. Democrats and others opposed to the president's toxic agenda are seeing some success in the courts.
In Congress, however, Democrats currently have little power to stop him. Beating up on their politicians for not doing what they are unable to do is not helping the cause. Preparing a slate of electable Democrats able to trounce the Republican bobbleheads in the midterms would be the more useful approach.
Which brings us to the rallies and demonstrations in cities across the nation. Beware, Democrats, who you let lead the parade. Social media has been doing backflips over the large crowds drawn to hear Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rail against MAGA. In itself, that's OK. That gives the Democratic base needed hope and a sense of doing something.
The problem comes in assuming the cheerleaders would make good spokespeople. There's now talk of AOC taking on a major leadership role in the party. AOC has a pretty face, but hers should not be the face of the Democratic Party.
Kamala Harris had electric rallies, too. Recall those wild crowds packing stadiums in states both blue and red. But once the campaign got going, MAGA aired nonstop the unfortunate positions Harris had taken -- notably her call to have taxpayers cover sex change operations for felons in prison.
AOC has a hit parade of politically poisonous remarks. A smattering:
"Capitalism is not a redeemable system." (2022). Defending seemingly open borders early in Joe Biden administration, she said, "We need to abolish ICE," that is, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (2018). "The United States is running concentration camps on our southern border, and that is exactly what they are." (2019).
In a video from 2020, she's seen defending looters in Philadelphia. "So, they go out and they need to feed their child and they don't have money," AOC says with high melodrama. "They feel like they need to shoplift some bread or go hungry that night." Not much bread was being sold at Philly's ravaged Footlocker or Apple Store.
I'm not supplying Trump world ammo to portray these Democrats as defenders of criminality. MAGA already has it stocked in their magazine.
Democrats can be as bad in focusing national attention on Trump's growing economic disaster as they were at not touting the fabulous economy Biden left us. And Trump is so good at luring them to his culture war nonsense and away from his disastrous economy.
The case of the deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia is an example. It is an assault on our system of justice with a large dollop of cruelty thrown in. The sad reality is that the American masses are not losing sleep over the fate of a man who first entered the country illegally -- even if they think Abrego Garcia deserves due process.
Their stock portfolios are another matter.
But even liberal-friendly media can't resist getting sucked into the nasty mockery, a Trump specialty. Last Friday capped a gruesome week in the markets, but the big story across evening news was Abrego Garcia chatting with a Democratic senator in a hotel restaurant with placemats. Trump couldn't have asked for a better distraction.
Thus, Democrats have two missions. One: Stop overplaying the importance of activists burdened by self-immolating statements on their record. When the election season begins to heat up, Democrats can let the jets loose.
Two: Democrats must stop letting Trump play them. Most hollering should be about the economy. Those are the headlines they shouldn't want to block but Trump does.
========
Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.
----
Copyright 2025 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Comments