We Ask All the Wrong Questions

By Don Mohler

If I hear one more talking head, or read one more headline, that asks, “Can a Democratic Socialist win an election in a swing state?” I might scream. Come on, people. We keep asking the wrong questions over and over again. As I learned early in my teaching career, labels are for jelly jars. Can we just stop trying to put everyone in a tidy little box? We can be smarter than this.

 

To paraphrase Maryland Governor Wes Moore, most people in the United States couldn’t care less about political parties. In fact, they don’t even like political parties. Moore, one of the most popular governors in the nation, often reminds voters that he is not a politician, a fact that likely adds to his soaring approval ratings. I guarantee you people in Maryland are not talking about this party or that party at the dinner table. They just want leaders who actually do something to make their lives better. That’s it, and that is where we’ve failed.

Regardless of who’s in power, it does not feel like the important stuff gets done.

That is why focusing on some of the crazy—and I’m not afraid to use that word—

 

policy proposals put forth by Democratic Socialists misses the point. Here’s a tip for my Democratic friends: call out the crazy, embrace the parts of the platform that help people, and speak like a normal person, not some philosophy professor in a college faculty lounge. Stop trying to dance around questions to please every little group. It makes you boring, and you sound ridiculous. People see right through it. Try grabbing a beer at a local pub or VFW and see if that helps.

Our friends on the left have suggested abolishing the United States Senate, eliminating the presidency, and replacing the Supreme Court. Some have called for defunding the police, ending incarceration, and eliminating ICE. While not part of the party’s official platform, one candidate who almost won a Senate seat tweeted several years ago that we should abolish Thanksgiving. I love my friends on the progressive side of the aisle, but that is some nutty stuff. Let’s just say so.

Any Democrat who is asked about any of those positions should simply say, “I don’t agree with any of that, and neither do the folks I represent. None of it is going to happen, so let’s not waste time on silliness.” No need to squirm. No need to babble on about how there have been centuries of injustice in the United States. We know that, but don’t cloud the issue. These ideas are silly, so let’s talk about what else they say that is far from silly.

 

The DSA calls for Medicare for All. That may or may not be the best way to expand health care in the United States, but we certainly have to make sure that health care is more affordable in this country, and we need to do it now. Both Pew and Gallup show that more than 60% of Americans think the government has a role in making health care more affordable, including 40% of lower income Republicans. It’s a winning message, so count me in on that one.

The DSA crowd also states that housing is a human right. Sounds pretty good to me. At a time when the average age of a first-time homebuyer in the United States is 41 years old, and 49% of people under 30 are still living with Mom and Dad, we have a housing crisis in the United States. So, you can count me in on that one as well.

How about striving to ensure that everyone has a living wage and that those who are employed have paid family leave? I can get on board with that. Making the wealthy pay more seems fair to me, particularly when it comes to Social Security. Again, this makes perfect sense. Former Maryland Governor, and Social Security Commissioner, Martin O’Malley has been ringing this alarm bell for some time now, and he is right.

A worker earning $50,000 a year pays $3,100 in Social Security taxes—6.2% of every

 

dollar they earn. But a worker earning $1 million pays just $11,439 in Social Security taxes because the tax stops after the first $184,500 of wages. That means the $50,000 worker contributes 6.2% of their entire income, while the millionaire contributes only about 1.1% of their income. Lifting the cap would make the system fairer by asking those who earn the most to contribute a larger share toward the Social Security system that benefits all of us. Now, I don’t need a degree in economics to know that’s just not fair. And guess what? The American people agree. Democrats shame on you if you can’t drive this message home.

So, back to where we started: let’s forget the labels and have real conversations about the issues. Why? Because Democrats win on every important issue. Every single one.

I am well aware that I’ve avoided the elephant in the room: what Democratic Socialists have said, on and off the record, about the state of Israel. I know how sensitive this issue is because my Jewish friends tend to light me up the minute I say something positive about New York Mayor Mamdani opening grocery stores in food deserts, or when I observe that Abdul El-Sayed appears to be a real political athlete. I understand the anger, but I’m willing to try again.

If a candidate is approached and asked about a statement made by anyone suggesting that Israel does not have a right to exist, he or she should say this: “Let me be very clear: Obviously, Israel has a right to exist, and it is a very important ally of the United States. That’s a pretty low bar. The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was a horrific act of terrorism in which Hamas-led militants murdered civilians and took hundreds of people hostage. Hamas is a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and there should be no ambiguity in calling the deliberate targeting and killing of civilians what it was: terrorism. To suggest otherwise is simply wrong and dangerous.” That’s pretty clear isn’t it?

 

But—and this is a big but—we need to distinguish between our support for Israel and the Israeli people, versus our support for Benjamin Netanyahu. The current government of Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians, including women and children, who have nothing at all to do with Hamas. I don’t think it is a stretch to call his actions a war crime. While it will be very difficult, the only way forward in the region will be a two-state solution, and that will never be possible with Netanyahu in charge. You see, we can walk and chew gum at the same time.

This response will please no one, but the truth can often be difficult. We are just months away from a midterm election that may well determine the future of our democracy. Donald Trump and his cartel will do everything they can to disrupt elections this fall. They say it out loud so believe them. It’s time for Democrats to stop blathering on and start talking common sense to the American people. If they can do that, maybe we can keep our Republic, as Mr. Franklin suggested. Maybe, just maybe!

Don Mohler is the former Baltimore County Executive and is currently President and CEO of Mohler Communication Strategies. He may be reached at don@donmohler.com