Jonathan P. Baird

As the mid-term election approaches, eyes gravitate to voting and the hope that Republicans across-the-board will receive the repudiation they so richly deserve. The unwanted war in Iran, the ever-increasing gas prices, the crazily-expensive cost of living, the horror show that is ICE and its agenda of racist deportations: all these items dictate a rejection of the Republican Party and their fascist leader, Donald Trump.

With such an abominable track record, it is easy to lose track of the struggle inside the Democratic Party. The Democrats have a huge opportunity to deliver for the American people but the question remains: are the Democrats up to the task and what will they deliver if the American people vote and give them the chance?

I admit I remain fearful the Democrats will blow this opportunity. The Democrats have a split identity. It is like they are two parties inside one. One party, the Establishment centrist wing, take corporate money and lacks any ideological identity. It is anti-Trump and anti-corruption but otherwise it lacks identity. Its loyalty is to its donors.

Then there is the progressive wing. Led by democratic socialists, the progressive wing has a strong platform on a wide array of issues. It tends to be youthful. It remains a minority faction although an increasingly influential one.

While it is not the central issue, the positions of the two wings of the Democratic Party around the war in Gaza have been instructive. Taking in millions in AIPAC money, the Establishment wing of the Democrats has been silent in the face of the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. On the other hand, the progressives have forcefully criticized Israel.

People disagree about this but I believe Kamala Harris’s failure to speak out on Gaza and separate herself from the Biden policy was a major reason she lost. Many people, especially young people, who might have voted for Democrats did not vote. Harris tied herself too much to Biden and she lacked credibility as a “change” candidate.

What we are living through now is the immiseration of our working class. Democrats have a responsibility to speak to that. I would begin with Medicare for all. Universal health care is a widely popular idea. Spiraling medical debt is a horrible and entirely unnecessary American reality. To win voters, Democrats need to be bold. Medicare for all is exactly the kind of reform they should champion.

You really don’t know what too many Democrats stand for. I would submit that in the Trump era that is dangerous.

And it is not just Medicare for all. Whether it is housing, education, jobs, regulation of AI and data centers or climate change, Democrats need an appealing platform that will directly address neglected economic needs. It is not enough to stand on being anti-Trump.

Democrats need to advocate Supreme Court reform. For many years, Democrats entirely ignored the Court. We should be pushing both for term limits and for adding four seats to the Court. It is predictable that the Court as presently constituted will block all progressive reforms the Democrats might be able to push through if they eventually regain control of the Presidency and Congress. The conservative majority of the Court is in bed with the billionaire class.

My fear is that if the Democrats are in charge and fail to deliver for the working class, they will open the door to a fascist resurgence that will be worse than the Trump regime. That is why who the Democrats will nominate in 2028 is so important. If the Democrats play it safe by nominating a do-nothing centrist, they will create opportunity for the fascist right.

Poor economic conditions are a petri dish for fascism. Immiseration of the working class will lead people to desperation. Things they might not have previously considered become allowable. Fascists like Trump thrive on and push authoritarianism and false solutions. Fascists are full of magic bullets like tariffs, $5000 checks and crypto schemes. Centrist Democrats who fail the working class are like a delivery system for fascism and its phony ideas.

Our American ruling class, especially the tech billionaires, have become so enamored of their own power that they abide gross corruption and self-dealing as normal. They all want to stay in the good graces of the regime no matter how debased it is. Our ruling class act like they are beyond any accountability and the sky is the limit as far as wealth creation for themselves.

Back in the 1930’s, Western democracies underestimated the threat of fascism and woke up to it late. In the New Yorker, the historian Beverly Gage recounts this history and shows how we were fortunate to have an anti-fascist president, FDR. We face a vastly different situation. The fascists are in control of the levers of the U.S. government. Maintaining our democracy remains a central goal and the Democratic Party is critical to that project. If the Democrats can regain power, the American people have a good chance to jettison fascism but we need a fighting Democratic Party to do that.

No one knows what ploys Trump might try to prevent an election outcome not favorable to Republicans. I submit we should not worry about things that have not happened yet. Democrats, independents and all who oppose fascism should strive for the maximum turnout possible in the mid-terms. We should also all turn out for the upcoming No Kings demonstrations on October 17. There is no preordained inevitability to our future. We need a Democratic Party up to the challenge to beat back fascism.