Perry Bacon Jr. raised important issues in his description of the Democrats’ electoral strategy leading up to the midterms [“What drove the Democratic Party’s strong performance? Not its leaders.,” op-ed, Nov. 24]. There are, however, a couple of other points worth emphasizing.
Here are more lessons for Democrats from the midterms
First, young people in particular are vitally (and properly) concerned with having a livable planet for themselves and their children. Although the Democrats largely neglected the climate crisis in the run-up to the election, young people plainly recognize that there is a vast gulf between climate deniers and those who at least acknowledge the severity of the problem and, however imperfectly, are trying to do something about it.
Second, and relatedly, people as a whole have a deep-seated need to believe in something bigger than their own self-interest. Republicans understand this, which is how they routinely manage to convince White people without college degrees to vote against their own economic self-interest — albeit using a narrative that is heavily weighted toward group aggrievement, ultranationalism and fear of the other. One of the reasons President Biden’s 11th-hour focus on preserving democracy resonated with many voters (aside from being accurate) was that it called on people to look beyond their immediate self-interest and see themselves as part of a collective movement to preserve the nation’s foundational principles. Democratic leadership should indeed learn a lesson from that going forward.
Eric R. Glitzenstein, Washington
Source: WP
