Yes, Let's Have A Big Tent-- While Not Stinking It Up With Anti-Choice Dirt-Bags And Racists

Yesterday, Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), speaking at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, noted how the supporters of the Jim Crow laws that the 60s generation was still fighting are very much alive and well inside the Republican Party, particularly inside the Trump Regime. Thankfully, at this point, we've mostly driven them out of the Democratic Party. Hopefully, forever. "While Jim Crow may be dead, he's got some nieces and nephews that are alive and well. And a few of them are running around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," explained Jeffries to an appreciative audience. Too bad Elijah Cummings and Tom Perez weren't in it.

When I was growing up, the members of Congress who prevented civil rights legislation from passing-- many of them untouchably powerful committee chairmen-- were Democrats, mostly, though not entirely, from the South. Someone should ask Elijah Cummings if he'd want them to be part of his Big Tent too... because I can't imagine many of them would be interested in being in a tent with him if he's being treated equally. Cummings was on Morning Joe yesterday extolling the virtues of the big tent and how fabulous the Blue Dogs-- like the Trumpists, the nieces and nephews of Jim Crow-- are. "Because it's one thing to say, 'OK, I don't want to be bothered with these folks.' It's another thing to say, 'Let's pull them under the tent, so we can be effective and efficient in getting something done.' Period." Tom Perez was on ABC News and very much on the same page: "If you’re going to be a big tent party as we are, and you're going to help elect Democrats who have generated support in their communities ... the will of those voters is the will that we must respect."

They were both talking about anti-Choice Democrats. I don't want to kill them or hurt them or say they can't register as Democrats and vote for Democratic candidates. They're more than welcome to. But they can't be leaders of the party and they can't drag the Democratic Party backwards towards the bad old days. After all, that's what we have a Republican Party to represent. The Democratic Party is a pro-Choice party, the same way the Democratic Party is a pro-equality party. Cummings and Perez might need a little refresher course.

That poll PPP released yesterday showing a mammoth 2018 enthusiasm gap developing for the Democrats is not because the Democrats want to welcome racists and anti-Choice freaks into the party leadership. "Democrats," reports PPP, "lead the generic Congressional ballot 47-41. But what's more notable is the enthusiasm imbalance. 63% of Democrats say they're 'very excited' about voting in the 2018 election, compared to only 52% of Republicans who express that sentiment. When you look at the 2018 House picture just among the voters most excited about turning out next year, the lead for Democrats grows to 19 points at 57-38. Republican leaning voters are comparatively disengaged, with the GOP holding advantages only among voters who are 'somewhat excited' (48- 40) and 'not that excited' (46-31)... One reason for the comparative lack of Republican excitement may be the continued unpopularity of Donald Trump. Only 43% of voters approve of the job he's doing to 50% who disapprove. The core promise of Trump's campaign was to 'Make America Great Again,' but only 35% of voters actually think he's accomplished that goal to 55% who think he hasn't... One finding that may best sum it all up when it comes to how down voters are on Trump: by a 42/40 spread, they have a higher opinion of United Airlines than they do of him."

Ryan and McConnell, tied to the Republican Party's despised anti-Choice and racist policies, are colossally unpopular. Who wants to invite that stinking pile of garbage into the Democratic tent? Oh, right: Elijah Cummings, Tom Perez and, of course, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. If the Democratic Party doesn't stand for something besides coddling Wall Street campaign donors, it will wind up as hated as the Republican Party-- and deservedly so.