Finally, at long last, it’s being said. The Democratic Party isn’t teeming with raging liberals running the show. The country has moved left, and the Democratic Party is right where the center of the country is now on issues.
“Almost on every single issue, the Democratic Party is where the center of the country is,” Matthew Dowd said on the 11th Hour Thursday evening.
Watch here as Dowd explains why Democratic Senator Joe Manchin’s claims about leaving office to represent the “center” of the country are disingenuous, because he was in the party that represents the center of the country. The Democratic Party now represents the center of the country on issues, whereas the Republican Party has moved “dramatically” Right. The old adage being used about the parties being liberal versus conservative doesn’t apply anymore.
“Almost on every single issue, the Democratic Party is where the center of the country is.”@matthewjdowd weighs in on what Tuesday’s election results and Sen. Manchin’s decision not to seek re-election could mean for 2024 pic.twitter.com/gdW0iJPl8E
— 11th Hour (@11thHour) November 10, 2023
For reference, Dowd isn’t some longtime Democratic or liberal activist. He was the chief strategist for the Bush Cheney 2004 presidential campaign. By 2021, the landscape had shifted so much that he ran for office as a Democrat in Texas.
Dowd: I actually find it quite amusing that we’re having this conversation about Joe Manchin’s elections prospects, less than two days after Democrats won in blue areas, purple areas and red areas, including a place like Kentucky, where the Democratic governor won again. Two days later, Joe Manchin is making this statement.
The other thing I find amazing is, and I think this keeps getting this narrative keeps getting pushed about like there’s some centrist party out there, that somehow nobody represents.
The funny thing about that is almost an every single issue, the Democratic Party is exactly where the center of the country is: on Roe vs. Wade, on guns, on raising the minimum wage, on higher taxes on higher income people, on dealing with climate change.
And so we’ve left we’ve been stuck in this old debate about well, the Republicans or conservatives and the Democrats or liberals and there’s a center of the country, unrepresented.
The truth of the matter is what’s moved is the Democratic Party has stayed where they are the country as a whole has moved more or less right where the center of the party is. What’s moved dramatically, is the Republican Party has moved dramatically right.
So Joe Manchin wanted to present a centrist party and represent a centrist party. There’s one sitting there.
Stephanie Ruhle: Everything that you just laid out, Matthew, why don’t people realize that?
Dowd: Well, I think because people get caught in this old mantra, they get caught. Well, the Democrats are liberal, and they mentioned two or three liberal members of Congress, but what they don’t fundamentally realize and this is where as the center of the party, and where most of the members of the Democratic House, Senate and the presidency: It’s where most Americans are.
And I think we get caught in this debate about left versus right and all that and when we — if you just go go through the top 10 issues go through all the top 10 issues that Americans are concerned about, and every single one of them, the center of the country, is exactly where the center of the Democratic Party is now and where the majority of the Democratic Party is now.
And the conversation has to be less about the two parties have moved too left to right, is one party has moved right, the country’s moved slightly left. And as I said, there’s one party that represents where the majority on issues for the majority of the country is — and it’s the Democratic Party.”
Joe Manchin’s retirement announcement suggested a run for president under the corporate big money label that’s trying to fool the public by calling itself “No Labels,” as if people are just so upset about where the Democratic Party stands on abortion and guns and climate change that they are desperate for the “middle,” which in this case is the middle of Big Corporate Interests.
Anyone who thinks Joe Manchin can win the presidency is soooo out of touch.
What’s really happened here is that while other Democrats can win in red areas, Manchin, who positioned himself with corporate interests over people’s interests while trying to call that the center, was in a precarious situation and faced a tough race, so he quit.
Democratic Governor of red state Kentucky Andy Beshear, who stood proudly for abortion rights, won reelection by MORE than he won his first race.
Manchin identifies as a Catholic and says he “will always consider myself pro-life.” This has resulted in him raging about the VA offering servicewomen abortion services to the point that he joined Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) to try to block the rule. We don’t need to breakdown how hypocritical it is to suggest you’re blocking a rule to give women life and health saving medical care because you’re “pro-life,” but suffice it to say, Manchin is to the Right of the country, even in red areas, on this issue.
The broader point about the country having shifted to the Left is one that it’s very clear most news networks haven’t reconciled with yet, as CEOs try to shove unchecked lies from Donald Trump and far Right agenda’s down the country’s throat because they claim to think that is the constituency that is not represented.
In reality, the unrepresented constituency is the center of the country. Wanting gun control and human rights for girls and women is seen and treated as some kind of far Left lunacy, when in fact, both are basic and fundamental to freedom. Most people don’t want to live in a dystopian nightmare where they’re afraid to go to a parade or drop their kids off at school.
Meanwhile, corporate interests and tech bros have shoved the center and the Left into the corner, suppressing your access to news that matches your values and denying ad money to news outlets that cover certain issues and even politics when they don’t have big money to buy ads and buy placement in searches.
As you watch outlet after outlet shutter, leaving only far Right and corporate news that somehow believes the country needs more anti-democracy voices rather than less, know that this silencing effort is purposeful, but also – you are not alone. Many more people agree with those who want to live in a pro-democracy, free country than don’t. Stay engaged and active. It works.
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Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.
Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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