Sadly I fear that’s true. We need a vibrant 2 party system so that each side keeps the other honest. I live in Alabama and the Republicans became corruption they replaced in many cases.
"The notion of biological males in women's sports or spaces feels like an affront to common sense and fairness."
"I've watched in dismay as gender ideology seems to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay..."
I applaud your willingness to explore what is clearly a painful and difficult topic for progressives. Maybe that's why there's such a tentative tone to your post. For instance:
1. "biological males" is redundant. "Male" is a biological term. No qualifier needed.
2. "...males in women's sports or spaces feels like an affront to common sense..." Their presence in women's sports and spaces doesn't just feel like an affront. It is an affront, in every way.
3. "...gender ideology seems to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay..."
Gender ideology doesn't just seem to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay. It does, in fact, medicalize, poison, disrupt the natural maturation of, and disfigure with unnecessary surgeries, the healthy bodies of children, many of who would definitely grow up to be gay if just left alone.
Biden poisoned the meaning of women's rights by adding "gender" to Title IX, which provided a welcome mat for trans-identified men in women's sports, prisons, shelters, changing rooms and on and on. Now Democrats are outraged as Trump uses his executive privilege to nullify these misogynist policies. It was fine when Biden blew up the world with his pen, but when Trump does it in reverse, it's not fair!
I agree with you: the Democrats were once the party of labor, the champions of the working class. I grew up in such a home and was loyal to the party right up until the Democrats began to use Trump's existence as an obsession, an excuse to suppress free speech and harass investigative journalists. The First Amendment and our democratic norms are at risk, and in this regard, the Democrats are having a hard time looking in the mirror.
I also agree that the Democrats need to change their approach. They need to put their obsession with Trump and their demonization of his supporters aside, and look deep inside the black hole of virtue signaling and identity politics that have turned the Democratic Party into a cult. Why, during RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing, did Bernie Sanders make a fool out of himself obsessing about "onesies," when he could have asked probing questions and listened and learned something from the reply?
New Democratic leadership needs to read this. It's quite clear they don't get it. I was a straight ticket Dem voter, raised in a union family from a working class community where the vast majority voted Democratic but now those communities are mere remnants of what they once were. I drive through my hometown now and so many memories flood my consciousness, sadness too because not only is my community even poorer economically than before, it's now flaming red politically. The people really haven't changed, and neither have their values. They still work hard, love their families, friends, and neighbors but they look at the Democratic Party as having no footing in reality pushing twisted ideas on people already struggling to pay the bills now also navigating a depressing, dark never satisfied, always complaining and blaming culture with authoritarian flavors. Say the wrong thing be shamed and be damned. Used to be I couldn't understand the working class Trump supporter, but I pulled off the progressive blinders and get it now. I totally get it.
"While the wealthy can opt for private education, we're left to battle in a system we can hardly afford to challenge." FYI - most of the schools within the independent sector - or at least those schools that are members of NAIS - have completely capitulated to gender theory. As many do not receive federal funding, they will not be changing until they come to their senses or the parents stop paying tuition.
As someone who sadly watched the Democrats steal it from Bernie twice, it saddened me to watch that. Washington seeks to ultimately corrupt all who enter. People seem to forget Trump was mentored by Roy Cohn who understood Washington as well as anyone.
You really nailed it when you said “This situation paints a picture of a Democratic Party driven by ideologies that favor the privileged and burden the rest of us.”
The hypocrisy of the party who constantly admonishes people to “check their privilege” while parading around their luxury beliefs like it’s the Met Gala.
Beautifully articulated, as always. I thought this closing point key, and so well stated: “The tragedy here is that the Democratic Party could have remained true to its roots, advocating for fairness and common sense instead of bowing to ideological elites. Instead, they've chosen a path that's pushed away the very voters they need.” Just for your “amusement,” I made a comment over on Margaret Sullivan’s Substack. There have been two replies, each of interest: https://margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/the-split-personality-of-big-journalism/comment/90717675?r=16541&utm_medium=ios (I felt a need to respond to the second one.)
To quote the late/great Tony Benn (I’m sure he’s spinning in his grave that I’m citing this in favour of Donald Trump 😂)
‘It’s better to be a signpost than a weathervane.’
I had to check my political leanings via three different polls to see if my views have changed. I’m a ‘progressive activist’ still left of centre ‘green’ but I’m for a large part of what’s going on in the USA. Better this than civil war…
Excellent commentary! And I liked, "This moral grandstanding on gender identity, cloaked in civil rights rhetoric, alienates those they once claimed to represent." Thank you.
Conceding that the Democratic Party has gotten gender stuff really wrong, let's not go crazy praising Donald Trump. He is not "the voice of the forgotten", unless America has forgotten about billionnaires, who now wield more power than they did a year ago, or about the folks who attacked the capital four years ago, who got a total pass.
People can be pro-Trump if they want--no one is stopping you--but let's not go overboard here. Donald Trump is nobody's hero except his own, and I don't think this forum should become The Donald's hagiography.
I agree with the assessment that the Democratic Party was perceived as elitist and obsessed with trans rights; however, the biggest reason we lost was very effective voter suppression. Texas conservatives are a minority, but have for 40 years ruled through a combination of gerrymandering, voter suppression and intimidation, and propaganda. So, now, I'll ask Democrats who abstained from voting in protest of trans activism, or who voted (God forbid) for Trump: how do you like it so far? You could have put your long pants on and worked with reasonable people to convince them of the error of rushing into gender affirmation; but, instead, we are all in the throes of an actual fucking coup.
Only 5 years ago, people who had periods were called 'women'. Now they are called ''menstruators' because apparently, not everyone who has a period is a woman. And not all women menstruate (because some have a dick). What a clown world. No wonder I've moved from extreme left to old school conservative.
This goes back to the early 70s when those of us pushing Dems to focus on the working class, economics, housing, medical care, and fair wages lost out to identity politics. We lost the argument that these issues were central to all, and that identity politics would divide forces and eventually slip into tribal gatherings as that's the nature of the beast, and we are that beast.. The Civil Rights movement, women's liberation, gay liberation made identity politics the party agenda. It became a party more focused on culture wars than the economics of working people. This has been coming for a long time.
Well said. And keep in mind that many private schools won't give parents more rights. I hear the challenges all the time from parents who are fighting this ideology on behalf of their kids.
Dems need to learn how to fight dirty. A few nights ago I practically gnashed my teeth listening to a podcast in which a Dem said she was committed to the truth and would never bend the facts to make a political point.
They were talking about the terrible plane crash in D.C. and Trump's despicable claim that it was caused by DEI. Then the conversation turned to former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's comment to the effect that Trump was to blame for firing the head of the FAA and not replacing him.
One of the Democratic policy wonks was dead-set against saying what Mayor Pete did unless she knew it was accurate. The other, more pragmatic host said that since Pete was engaged in politics, some exaggeration was acceptable.
That's right. Where have the Dems' adherence to telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth gotten us in the past six months to a year? Most people don't hear it because they're distracted. Many of those who do write it off as "fake news" because they're for Trump.
Until Democrats learn how to be ruthless and relentless in pushing back on Trump, even if it means shading the truth a bit or a lot to make a political point, we'll be eating Trumps dust and MAGA's until at least 2028.
There is nothing straightforward or consistent about Trump's approach to anything, and he is a reliable ally of no one. He's bulldozing whatever he doesn't like, including gender ideology nonsense. But so what? He isn't creating lasting change. He isn't winning over anyone, and in fact Democrats are now doubling down on their gender ideology. Nice work.
I said it won't produce lasting change. Trump is convincing absolutely no one that there are two genders. He's convinced no one that GAC is dangerous and destructive. He is making people more determined than ever to protect trans rights, and to reverse his executive orders, especially his efforts to halt GAC. He isn't a dictator -- yet. He can't make the sweeping changes he thinks he can. Wait until the midterms, and you'll see. Oh, so some kids will be spared GAC in the meantime? It will all be resumed later, and people will be more self-righteous than ever in their quest to get the "care" they need. Trump is an ass clown. Period. He won't do anything good for this country.
The circus that was the election of the DNC chair and vice chair says that they have learned nothing.
Sadly I fear that’s true. We need a vibrant 2 party system so that each side keeps the other honest. I live in Alabama and the Republicans became corruption they replaced in many cases.
"The notion of biological males in women's sports or spaces feels like an affront to common sense and fairness."
"I've watched in dismay as gender ideology seems to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay..."
I applaud your willingness to explore what is clearly a painful and difficult topic for progressives. Maybe that's why there's such a tentative tone to your post. For instance:
1. "biological males" is redundant. "Male" is a biological term. No qualifier needed.
2. "...males in women's sports or spaces feels like an affront to common sense..." Their presence in women's sports and spaces doesn't just feel like an affront. It is an affront, in every way.
3. "...gender ideology seems to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay..."
Gender ideology doesn't just seem to medicalize children who might otherwise grow up to be gay. It does, in fact, medicalize, poison, disrupt the natural maturation of, and disfigure with unnecessary surgeries, the healthy bodies of children, many of who would definitely grow up to be gay if just left alone.
Biden poisoned the meaning of women's rights by adding "gender" to Title IX, which provided a welcome mat for trans-identified men in women's sports, prisons, shelters, changing rooms and on and on. Now Democrats are outraged as Trump uses his executive privilege to nullify these misogynist policies. It was fine when Biden blew up the world with his pen, but when Trump does it in reverse, it's not fair!
I agree with you: the Democrats were once the party of labor, the champions of the working class. I grew up in such a home and was loyal to the party right up until the Democrats began to use Trump's existence as an obsession, an excuse to suppress free speech and harass investigative journalists. The First Amendment and our democratic norms are at risk, and in this regard, the Democrats are having a hard time looking in the mirror.
I also agree that the Democrats need to change their approach. They need to put their obsession with Trump and their demonization of his supporters aside, and look deep inside the black hole of virtue signaling and identity politics that have turned the Democratic Party into a cult. Why, during RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing, did Bernie Sanders make a fool out of himself obsessing about "onesies," when he could have asked probing questions and listened and learned something from the reply?
Exactly
New Democratic leadership needs to read this. It's quite clear they don't get it. I was a straight ticket Dem voter, raised in a union family from a working class community where the vast majority voted Democratic but now those communities are mere remnants of what they once were. I drive through my hometown now and so many memories flood my consciousness, sadness too because not only is my community even poorer economically than before, it's now flaming red politically. The people really haven't changed, and neither have their values. They still work hard, love their families, friends, and neighbors but they look at the Democratic Party as having no footing in reality pushing twisted ideas on people already struggling to pay the bills now also navigating a depressing, dark never satisfied, always complaining and blaming culture with authoritarian flavors. Say the wrong thing be shamed and be damned. Used to be I couldn't understand the working class Trump supporter, but I pulled off the progressive blinders and get it now. I totally get it.
Thank you
"While the wealthy can opt for private education, we're left to battle in a system we can hardly afford to challenge." FYI - most of the schools within the independent sector - or at least those schools that are members of NAIS - have completely capitulated to gender theory. As many do not receive federal funding, they will not be changing until they come to their senses or the parents stop paying tuition.
As someone who sadly watched the Democrats steal it from Bernie twice, it saddened me to watch that. Washington seeks to ultimately corrupt all who enter. People seem to forget Trump was mentored by Roy Cohn who understood Washington as well as anyone.
You really nailed it when you said “This situation paints a picture of a Democratic Party driven by ideologies that favor the privileged and burden the rest of us.”
The hypocrisy of the party who constantly admonishes people to “check their privilege” while parading around their luxury beliefs like it’s the Met Gala.
Beautifully articulated, as always. I thought this closing point key, and so well stated: “The tragedy here is that the Democratic Party could have remained true to its roots, advocating for fairness and common sense instead of bowing to ideological elites. Instead, they've chosen a path that's pushed away the very voters they need.” Just for your “amusement,” I made a comment over on Margaret Sullivan’s Substack. There have been two replies, each of interest: https://margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/the-split-personality-of-big-journalism/comment/90717675?r=16541&utm_medium=ios (I felt a need to respond to the second one.)
Thank you, I always appreciate your take.
To quote the late/great Tony Benn (I’m sure he’s spinning in his grave that I’m citing this in favour of Donald Trump 😂)
‘It’s better to be a signpost than a weathervane.’
I had to check my political leanings via three different polls to see if my views have changed. I’m a ‘progressive activist’ still left of centre ‘green’ but I’m for a large part of what’s going on in the USA. Better this than civil war…
Excellent commentary! And I liked, "This moral grandstanding on gender identity, cloaked in civil rights rhetoric, alienates those they once claimed to represent." Thank you.
Thank you for your comments.
Conceding that the Democratic Party has gotten gender stuff really wrong, let's not go crazy praising Donald Trump. He is not "the voice of the forgotten", unless America has forgotten about billionnaires, who now wield more power than they did a year ago, or about the folks who attacked the capital four years ago, who got a total pass.
People can be pro-Trump if they want--no one is stopping you--but let's not go overboard here. Donald Trump is nobody's hero except his own, and I don't think this forum should become The Donald's hagiography.
I do not believe this piece is an endorsement of Trump, but a warning to the left.
I agree with the assessment that the Democratic Party was perceived as elitist and obsessed with trans rights; however, the biggest reason we lost was very effective voter suppression. Texas conservatives are a minority, but have for 40 years ruled through a combination of gerrymandering, voter suppression and intimidation, and propaganda. So, now, I'll ask Democrats who abstained from voting in protest of trans activism, or who voted (God forbid) for Trump: how do you like it so far? You could have put your long pants on and worked with reasonable people to convince them of the error of rushing into gender affirmation; but, instead, we are all in the throes of an actual fucking coup.
Only 5 years ago, people who had periods were called 'women'. Now they are called ''menstruators' because apparently, not everyone who has a period is a woman. And not all women menstruate (because some have a dick). What a clown world. No wonder I've moved from extreme left to old school conservative.
This goes back to the early 70s when those of us pushing Dems to focus on the working class, economics, housing, medical care, and fair wages lost out to identity politics. We lost the argument that these issues were central to all, and that identity politics would divide forces and eventually slip into tribal gatherings as that's the nature of the beast, and we are that beast.. The Civil Rights movement, women's liberation, gay liberation made identity politics the party agenda. It became a party more focused on culture wars than the economics of working people. This has been coming for a long time.
Well said. And keep in mind that many private schools won't give parents more rights. I hear the challenges all the time from parents who are fighting this ideology on behalf of their kids.
Dems need to learn how to fight dirty. A few nights ago I practically gnashed my teeth listening to a podcast in which a Dem said she was committed to the truth and would never bend the facts to make a political point.
They were talking about the terrible plane crash in D.C. and Trump's despicable claim that it was caused by DEI. Then the conversation turned to former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg's comment to the effect that Trump was to blame for firing the head of the FAA and not replacing him.
One of the Democratic policy wonks was dead-set against saying what Mayor Pete did unless she knew it was accurate. The other, more pragmatic host said that since Pete was engaged in politics, some exaggeration was acceptable.
That's right. Where have the Dems' adherence to telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth gotten us in the past six months to a year? Most people don't hear it because they're distracted. Many of those who do write it off as "fake news" because they're for Trump.
Until Democrats learn how to be ruthless and relentless in pushing back on Trump, even if it means shading the truth a bit or a lot to make a political point, we'll be eating Trumps dust and MAGA's until at least 2028.
There is nothing straightforward or consistent about Trump's approach to anything, and he is a reliable ally of no one. He's bulldozing whatever he doesn't like, including gender ideology nonsense. But so what? He isn't creating lasting change. He isn't winning over anyone, and in fact Democrats are now doubling down on their gender ideology. Nice work.
So what? Every kid that doesn’t have their body mutilated, that’s what.
I said it won't produce lasting change. Trump is convincing absolutely no one that there are two genders. He's convinced no one that GAC is dangerous and destructive. He is making people more determined than ever to protect trans rights, and to reverse his executive orders, especially his efforts to halt GAC. He isn't a dictator -- yet. He can't make the sweeping changes he thinks he can. Wait until the midterms, and you'll see. Oh, so some kids will be spared GAC in the meantime? It will all be resumed later, and people will be more self-righteous than ever in their quest to get the "care" they need. Trump is an ass clown. Period. He won't do anything good for this country.