So fuck the Third Way and their ilk. They are not moderates and not really Democrats. They are corporate shills working to advance a neoliberal agenda. Privatization, deregulation, austerity, free market magic, this is The Third Way.
There are genuine moderate Democrats out there, of course, and they come in several different flavors. Here's my version of the menu.
First let's start with the unicorn of Democratic politics: Chuck Schumer's ersatz Baileys living conveniently inside Chuck's imagination. They don't exist. They are made up to confirm Schumer's predilections and give him license to do what he wants to do anyway.
And what about the millions of real Baileys alleged to exist across the country, those quintessentially American folks who want nothing more than to live in simpler times, on their own little piece of land, maybe at the edge of a pond that never ripples? They may or may not be real, but they get great press and a lot of it.
And then there are genuine, professional moderate Democrats.
One professional moderate Dem would be a run-of-the-mill elected official. This mayor or legislator serves a constituency that likes what they say and do. Maybe it's the Baileys. They listen a lot, and their focus is on their people rather than their party.
They're not bigshots and they're exceedingly rare in Washington. They don't have a lot to say about what other Democrats do or say. They listen more than they talk, seldom do interviews, and, just like the Baileys, may or may not exist.
Another professional moderate Democrat is a thinker. They sell their thoughts to electeds or those who want to be. These thinkers call themselves advisors and consultants, campaign strategists and managers.
They are big fans of collecting data that support their recommendations, and they make their money by convincing electeds and candidates that they alone have the secret sauce.
The louder, more public, and much more frustrating professional moderate Democrats are a gaggle of well-established establishment Democratic leaders who are mainly interested in cash flow.
Some of these establishment Dems are electeds, some are elected-adjacent. Some are serving in Congress right this minute. Some of them used to be inside and are now shouting from the sidelines. Some of those on the sidelines want back in.
All these establishment Dems have one thing in common: They
are committed to slowing things down and taking no chances and never,
ever pissing off their money. They are really conservative Democrats,
which means they are really moderate Republicans. They mostly vote for
and with Democrats, so that's good, but it's mostly because Democrats
these days mostly vote moderate.
All are generally “experienced,” which is to say older, and many are dreamy for a world that exists only in their fantasies of good old days which, even then, were being targeted for destruction by their "friends across the aisle." Some of them have never served anyone but themselves. They are rank opportunists thirsting for the limelight and cash.
They do a lot of damage to the party because these establishment Dems are more passionate about constraining and
blocking progressives than they are about stopping Republicans. Maybe
it's a question of style. Maybe moderate Dems just miss the veneer of
comity. Maybe life has grown too fast for them. Maybe progressives are
just too coarse, too outspoken, too ambitious.
This bunch tends to spook easily, and therefore they talk a lot about other Democrats they're afraid might spoil the hustle. They do Republicans' work for them by scolding and name-calling other Democrats who have positions and proposals that are more aggressive and more progressive than they and their donors are comfortable with.
Whatever. It's time to resurrect Ronald Reagan (actually, Gaylord Parkinson) and the Republican Eleventh Commandment, but this time use its power for good:
Thou shalt not speak ill of another Democrat.
In other words, shut the hell up.
No matter what kind of Democrat you are, you owe it to the
country and your own constituents to shut the hell up. All genuine
Democrats of all stripes should shut the hell up about what other
Democrats are saying and what they are doing for their constituents.
No Democratic elected or candidate should ever answer a question about
any other Democrat's statements or positions or any of the blather on the internet.
No "Do
you agree?" Absolutely no "What is your response?" Use the smarmy
Republican "I haven't heard that" or you can be a grown-up: "I'm
concerned with my constituents and my race." Pivot to what you'll
deliver if you win. You don't have to answer for anybody's words but
your own.
Don't you have enough to do figuring out what you stand for? Moderate centrist
professional establishment Democrats have been explicit about what they are
against: progressives. But what are they for?
What vision for the
country drives their work? I'm a progressive. I know what I want. What is it that these
moderates actually want?
Next: Moderates vs. Progressives: 3. What do they want?
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