AceDesSpades
Ramblin'Gamblin'Man
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2023
- Posts
- 4,734
All of which is to say, Democrats need their own Trump – a wrecking ball who will challenge the party’s dogmas; a disruptive outsider who can force them out of their ideological cul-de-sac. The radical transformation Democrats need seems beyond the capacity of the party’s entrenched leadership: To expect people who cannot admit error to change their minds and ways seems like wishful thinking. They probably don’t need a Trump-like figure to win elections, but they need one to find a way to govern effectively. This would not require abandoning progressive ideals, but developing new ways to actually achieve them.
This will not be easy. As a spur, Democrats should consider the fate of their allies in the legacy media. The partisan, left-wing turn many news organizations have taken in the last decade has undermined the trustAmericans once had in their reporting – while contributing to shrinking audiences and mass layoffs. That failure is a major reason millions of Americans are turning to alternative outlets, including X, Substack, and podcasters such as Joe Rogan, for news.
Political parties are not subject to the swift and ruthless forces of the market. But Democrats would be wise to see the decline of their media allies as a canary in the coal mine. It should inspire them to begin a true process of soul-searching and change for their own good and for that of the nation.
J. Peder Zane is an editor for RealClearInvestigations and a columnist for RealClearPolitics.