Hardcore Politics and Hope

The Left is eviscerated. We live with one-party rule, where the only meaningful political struggles, in terms of legislation and policy, take place between moderate and ultraconservative Republicans.

I'm not passing a value judgment on any of this. In fact I think it's bad for democracy. It means we're contending with turf wars between congressional strongmen and their affiliate bureaucracies.

Democrats need to rebuild. They tried their best with traditional constituents this past cycle, and couldn't make it work. Some still insist that "it's the cities, stupid". But they only appeal to anger and condescension. Politicians who are intuitively disdainful of capitalism, and are reflexively dovish on foreign policy, they can't fake their way into capturing a majority.

Look to centrists, reformers, pro-business politicians who don’t pin their success on the country’s impending failure. Consider the work being done by various think tanks who are soberly sorting through the electoral numbers to gain insight into our country.

The United States needs fruitful dialogue between political parties which may vigorously disagree, but which both have something to offer the electorate.