More helpful tips for the Democrats

They are, once again, getting on my last frayed nerve

If you’re tired of hearing me impatiently criticize the Democratic Party, I apologize for putting you through it again. I’m frustrated that they still can’t seem to figure out their direction on their own. For your reference, here is my last letter to the party leaders.

Democrats remain lost in the woods because they continue to misunderstand their assignment. They think they’re supposed write a script to win an election (if we ever have one again). I’ve told them that this country—perhaps the entire world—is at an inflection point. I’ve explained what I can about preparing for a new world order and insisted that politics-as-usual won’t work right now. Yet, they’re still floundering, and I’m still banging my head on the desk. Today, I’ll repeat everything I’ve already said, but I’ll try to say it differently.

I’ve created an example of what I mean by planning for politics unusual. I’ll try to keep the irritation out of my voice as we go.

There are people already thinking about this

Senator Chris Murphy (D - CT) frames the question this way:

“For me, the essential question for my party is this: do you think this political moment is frenzied but still normal, and thus our job is to use our tried and true political tactics to make Trump as deservedly unpopular as possible so that we win back levers of power in 2026; or, do you think this moment is without precedent, and that Trump’s assault on democracy is so serious that all our work must be directed not toward winning the 2026 election, but making sure there is a free, fair election in 2026.”

My diagnosis of the root cause of our democracy crisis is inequality, which is baked into the Constitution and our economic and political policies. From there, its tentacles reach in all directions. Without inequality, the Presidency would be plunder-proof. There would be no way to rig the economy or elections to favor a dominant group (such as billionaires). Identity politics wouldn’t exist because systemic discrimination would not be happening. Most of us can’t even imagine what it would take to reform the Constitution. Democratic Party strategies over the past decade have been a frantic attempt to clean up the mess and paste the country back together, as it was before Trump. We didn’t always know that was a fool’s errand, but we damn well know it now.

Joe Biden did his best to undo the worst of Trump’s foreign and economic policy train-wrecks. Kamala Harris ran a strong campaign on a platform of saving democracy and giving more help to struggling Americans. The voters didn’t buy it. President Donald Trump, my friends, is how we know that politics-as-usual is not going to work, no matter how much lipstick you put on this pig.

Sen. Murphy knows this. He’s not alone. A podcast I recently discovered pointed me to a publication called UNFTR (which stands for “unf**k the republic”). They have created something we can use: The Five Non-Negotiables. I’m going to use these as a jumping-off point to illustrate what Democrats should be doing, given the fact that they are lost in the woods with no plan and nothing but lipstick to feed to their pig.

A roadmap for planning

Democrats, if you want to save the country, you must think hard about what that would actually require. Starting from the ground up probably isn’t feasible—you tried that with the Harris campaign, and it flopped. But I also don’t recommend starting with a vision statement and working backward to concrete steps. Asking people to begin with constitutional reform is a huge leap. Nobody alive today knows how to do that, so your immediate future must focus on setting the stage. If Democrats want to continue leading America, they must figure out—not how to sell it, but how to do it. If what you already know how to do was adequate, Kamala Harris would be the 47th President.

Since I’m always trying to rescue your sorry asses, I’ll offer a quick and dirty plan based on my own thoughts and values. First, let me explain my process as if it was Fred Astaire’s dance steps:

My planning doesn’t begin with a vision statement or a list of goals. It starts with a concise list of what your plan must address. For example, asking people to plan for constitutional reform is overwhelming—nobody knows how to do that. Unfortunately, if Democrats want to be in leadership, they must figure out—not how to sell it, but how to do it. Some might think democracy can be reverse-engineered from where we are today. If that were possible, Kamala Harris would be the 47th President.

If I were developing this plan myself, it would look something like this:

Dear Democrats (AGAIN!)

To clarify where you’re going, you have to start from where you are—which, in your case, is lost in the woods. I included a handy pointer in my example so you’ll know where to begin. I can’t make it any simpler. Still, you should resist the temptation to skip all the work and just adopt my plan. That would be a terrible idea because the only person truly invested in this plan is me—the one who created it. People support what they help create. If your facilitator simply walks you through the usual strategic planning steps without giving the conversations the thought they need, you’ll end up with a leadership group that’s checked out and just wants the meetings to be over. The resulting plan, if you’re lucky, becomes a doorstop or a paperweight. Soulless plans that politicians phone in are one reason everyone’s frustrated with our government.

Why it’s so hard

The quality of the final plan depends entirely on the process used to create it. Picture Chris Murphy, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders sitting around a table, about to create their plan for leading the country. One challenge is that everyone has a different entry point for thinking about planning. My natural entry point is “long-term goals.” Many people need something less abstract and will start immediately thinking up “next steps.”

Rookie facilitators know how to “get everyone on the same page” by the end, but not how to bring them to the same starting page. Since everyone enters the planning conversation from different angles, starting with the non-negotiables lets planning start from the middle. This is the list of criteria your plan and platform must include. These will be based on your core values and expert knowledge of the current political, economic, and policy landscape.

Remember, Democrats: this is not a marketing campaign. It’s a leadership plan. Your job, as the only minimally functioning political party left, is to create a vision of an America that doesn’t exist yet. You’ll figure out how to “brand” your plan once you know what it is. Take my advice and build your plan around solving America’s root problem: inequality. You must make it impossible for any person, party, or group to:

• Profit at everyone else’s expense.

• Exempt entire groups from equal treatment under the law.

• Create an economy that tolerates this degree of wealth inequality.

• Ignore the myriad ways we’re all connected.

All your social programs, from Medicare to public education, must be designed for the benefit of society as a whole. Consider:

• What are the benefits to the country of having everyone housed?

• How, exactly, does full equality create peace and prosperity?

• What would it take, economically, to ensure all Americans have equal access to opportunities and abundance?

I know what my answers would be, but you have to create your own. You’re not creating Utopia. You are creating a set of guardrails that will enable 330 million people to co-exist in a democracy and work together across vast differences. You won’t save every tormented soul or rid the system of all conniving, power-hungry politicians. Focusing on social programs to save every tormented soul can result in resentment from others who see beneficiaries as “freeloaders.” Nor can you eliminate all the greed and lust for power in government, but you can build guardrails that hold it at a distance.

Once you translate your ideas into a plan, you’ll find it much easier to:

• Share your vision in ways that are compelling and easy to grasp.

• Convince citizens that they have to join in the effort.

• Detail what you intend to do and why your plan will eventually get everyone moving in the same direction.

• Gain the benefit of the doubt from citizens when you propose new policies and initiatives.

• Identify candidates who can most naturally accomplish the above four points.

Ignore your consultants and all of the pundits. You have to write the story, you have to make it happen, you have to lead us out of this darkness. So—for the love of all that’s holy—figure it the hell out.

I feel better…

…now that I’ve gotten all that off my chest. Thank you, dear readers, for tolerating my more annoying habits, like flipping between using first-person and second-person voices. Now that I’m happy again, I feel like I’ve just bitch-slapped the Democratic Party from here clear to Kansas City. I want to give them a hug now and say ‘I’m sorry I yelled at you” and stop myself before adding “but…” Today’s Song of the Day is meant to be that hug.

Song of the Day

“Dark Blue” — clay pigeon

Support songwriters and support musicians by purchasing this track here or here or from a reputable vendor of your choice.

Keep on keepin’ on,

Cindy