Never Missing an Opportunity to Miss an Opportunity

At the Washington Post Democrat Richard Cohen, who has vowed never to vote Republican and remains firm in that promise come what may, has this to say about the Democratic candidates for president:

But the Democratic Party is on a tear. One by one, its candidates have embraced losing issue after losing issue. First came reparations for slavery, a noble idea lacking only popular support and practicality and possibly amounting to yet another attempt to right a wrong with money. Before that, the various candidates raised their hands in support of Medicare-for-all, which could strip millions of people of their private insurance plans. That is sure to be characterized by Trump as socialized medicine with the sick growing old and dying, covered in cobwebs while waiting to see the doctor. GOP strategists must be hyperventilating over all the goodies arrayed before them. This is a campaign even Trump could win.

The Democratic Party has a possibly fatal inability to prioritize. The urgent challenge is to rid the nation of Trump, not to mollify this or that identity group or wrestle over issues that could not be solved when they were relevant — such as busing. As it is, the candidates are campaigning in an America of their own imagination — a bit to the left of Sweden and as racially unified as one of those old Coke commercials. They pander to the extremes of the early caucus and primary states, thinking they can seduce the middle later on down the road or, in my case, giving me a choice of one of them or Trump. Sedate me first.

Most of the column is devoted to reminding us of how unpopular forced busing was, among blacks and whites alike. It does make one wonder if the candidates really long for that imaginary America or whether they’re just posturing. Posturing seems like a safe bet. As I’ve said before in a day in which you can’t actually suppress embarrassing things you’ve said and in which even 40 year old scores will be raked up I don’t believe they can actually change course to appeal to voters for whom what they’re advocating now without alienating the voters they’re presently trying to woo.