Reuters
Donald Trump, who broke fast from the gate and leads his rivals in the long race for the Republican presidential nomination, is unelectable. His boorish behavior has led to high “unfavorable” ratings and he polls poorly among moderate and independent voters who decide general elections.
Ted Cruz, his closest competitor as they round the first turn, is widely reviled within own party. Running in third, Marco Rubio keeps getting touted by race track buffs, but still remains a maiden, without a win on his record. Even worse, when pressured by Chris Christie and asked to change leads on the track, Rubio couldn’t do it. He couldn’t depart from his script and thereby lost the confidence of gamblers who thought he might have the Right Stuff.
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Faced with such a bunch of weak candidates to run against, the Democrats may yet snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by nominating Bernie Sanders for president. Sanders’s attacks on growing inequality, his criticisms of crony capitalism, and his vision of transforming market-oriented America into social democratic Sweden have attracted support from young people and the Democratic left who are ensconced on college campuses, in professional jobs, and in the arts.
They appreciate Bernie’s principles more than Hillary’s pragmatism, his authenticity more than her careerism, and his quirky novelty more than her flawed familiarity. He is the offbeat uncle who family members have never really met. She is the greying aunt who always shows up at gatherings and whom family members know all too well.
But politics is about more than who shares your values or voting your convictions. It’s about context, where the other pieces are on the chess board. Democrats need to remember that Republicans have a majority in the House and in the Senate. The latter may flip in 2016 — but maybe not — while the Republican majority in the House is pretty secure. Consequently, Democrats can’t afford to lose the presidency while the GOP holds majorities in both legislative chambers.
They appreciate Bernie’s principles more than Hillary’s pragmatism, his authenticity more than her careerism, and his quirky novelty more than her flawed familiarity.
Given the stakes, Democrats need to think about who has the best chance to win in November.
While Hillary trails Bernie in polls when placed against different Republican opponents, such polls mean little at this point. In part, they reflect the fact that Hillary and not Bernie has been the target of Republican attacks. In her favor, Hillary enjoys a broader base of support among key Democratic constituencies, such as blacks and Hispanics, and can appeal more to the median voter in the general election.
Bernie supporters want to avoid the issue of power and who can win because it permits them to remain innocent, true to their principles. But that is an indulgence only available to those who are comfortable in life. A Republican sweep of the three branches of government won’t leave the Democratic left homeless, without health insurance, or in poverty.
But it would be a catastrophe for the disadvantaged who need political power — in the form of a president’s veto, an executive order, or an advocate appointed to an executive agency — to protect them from such calamities. They can’t afford to lose the presidency on behalf of their convictions. The cost for them is too great.
The Republicans are in such disarray that they appear unable to prevent themselves from handing the presidency to the Democrats. But the price of accepting this gift for some Democrats may be their innocence, accepting moral ambiguity, in return for power. They should take it.
Alan Draper is a professor of government at St. Lawrence University.
