THE FEEL-GOOD BUZZWORD: AFFORDABILITY

This morning, I reluctantly flipped on MSNOW (formerly MSNBC), bracing myself for what was coming. Sure enough, it was the usual parade of Democratic Party talking points. But today, one word kept popping up over and over again: affordability. Apparently, that’s the new magic word. Commentator after commentator praised it, arguing that a renewed focus on affordability is the key to winning back political power.

On the surface, it sounds great. Who doesn’t want things to be more affordable? But once you sit with it for more than a minute, the whole idea starts to ring hollow. “Affordability” quickly reveals itself as a feel-good slogan, pleasant to hear, but light on substance. It’s nothing more than a platitude standing in for real solutions.

Yes, this message seems to be working for now. Democrats have notched some impressive wins in recent off-year elections, and they deserve credit for that. Still, I worry the momentum won’t last if the party keeps leaning on the same recycled rhetoric. If Democrats genuinely want to energize working-class voters, they need to offer something bolder with policies that people can actually feel in their everyday lives. Minor adjustments to the status quo, such as expanded tax credits, modest drug price negotiations, or incremental housing initiatives, often come across as window dressing to people who are struggling to get by.

What many voters are really craving, IMHO, is something far more straightforward, which is, for lack of a better term, populism. People want substantive change. And I believe the path forward is clear. Run on big, unmistakable ideas, such as Medicare for All, a massive expansion of public service jobs to stop endless layoffs, and bold investments in infrastructure. That’s how the Democrats can become a true opposition party to the elites who currently run this country.

JOE BIDEN: MY EARLY VIEW ON HIS FUTURE PRESIDENCY

In 73 days, Donald Trump will officially lose power and Joe Biden will be sworn in as our 46th president. And he will be a vast improvement on many levels. He will bring, at long last, at scientific, compassionate approach to battling the Coronavirus pandemic effectively. I believe he will be successful. Beyond that, however, my hopes for Biden getting much else accomplished remain somewhat subdued. Like President Obama, he will have to deal with an obstructive Mitch McConnell-led U.S Senate. Biden will likely be hamstrung in getting even the smallest possible incremental reform passed. Moreover, the new president-elect has signaled that he may not make pushing for any progressive reforms a priority. Pundits say Biden may appoint anti-labor, austerity-minded Republicans like former Ohio Governor John Kasich to his cabinet. Meantime, many party insiders close to Biden are warning progressives should back off from promoting issues, such as Medicare for All. They say they will be harmful to any future electoral success. 

I believe this approach would be a mistake. Medicare for All is hugely popular as recent polls indicate it has more than 70 percent support among all Americans. In a recent piece published in Common Dreams, New York progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points out that all the congressional Democrats who lost their re-election bids in Tuesday’s elections were centrists who did not support Medicare for All. While the candidates supporting it, she maintains, won. Sadly, during the campaign, Biden has categorically stated that he is opposed to Medicare for All, but did indicate he supports a revised ACA plan with a public option. I hope, at least, he remains steadfast to that promise.