The Democrats are in a bit of a tizzy trying to figure out why their grand ideas aren’t exactly flying off the shelves. It seems former vice-presidential hopeful Tim Walz might think he has cracked the case — a real revelation here. Walz, with all the bravado of a motivational speaker at a self-help seminar, claims the Democrats’ problem is their obsession with identity, not substance. And yes, he seems to say this with a straight face, conveniently forgetting that identity politics has been the Democratic Party’s bread and butter for as far back as we can remember.
Walz took a stab at explaining that his identity isn’t tied to stereotypes like hunting or driving a truck. But maybe, just maybe, he hasn’t noticed that his party has been championing identity politics like a cause célèbre. To hear him spin it, it’s as if he’s shedding some revolutionary insight when, in reality, it’s the same old song and dance. For someone who was part of a ticket that rode the identity wave all the way to Election Day, these words ring a tad hollow, don’t they?
While Walz engages in this existential pondering, let’s observe that a significant demographic shift is taking place under the Democrats’ noses. Working-class Americans, apparently tired of being political pawns, are shifting their allegiance over to the Republican side. These are the backbone folks, the ones who have poured sweat into building the nation — quite literally. They’ve had enough of being taken for granted and are aligning with the GOP’s pro-manufacturing, pro-worker message. It turns out, people favor politicians who remember that America wasn’t built on hashtags and slogans, but on hard labor and innovation.
Meanwhile, the Democrats are in full disarray mode, playing a game of hot potato with blame, complete with finger-pointing and the occasional under-the-bus toss. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, frequent flyers in this blame game, seem to spend more time bickering amongst themselves than coming up with coherent policies. It’s almost comedic how passionately they’re tripping over each other to cast blame elsewhere. After all, why take responsibility when you can just point fingers, right?
In the midst of this circus of deflection and dwindling trust, one might hope that the Democrats eventually decide to listen to American voters. Yet, here they are, defending ideologies and actions that are increasingly out of step with what most Americans consider common sense. They seem to be living in an echo chamber of extreme progressivism, much to their own detriment. Meanwhile, the Republicans, sharpening their focus on the working class and a pragmatic reevaluation of what America needs, are gaining ground. If the Democrats don’t watch out, they might find themselves tumbling down their self-made political mountain, leaving the Republicans to pick up the pieces.
