Jamie Raskin in Wellfleet; insightful, passionate, lacking
His case against Trump never once invoked the words ‘working class,’ or ‘economy.’
Departing Wellfleet Preservation Hall the evening of July 11, as Maryland Congressman and leading light Democrat Jamie Raskin finished a stemwinder/fundraiser attack on Donald Trump for running “a gangster state where everything is a shakedown” while the Republican Party acts “like members of a political cult,” an astute friend posed a hypothetical:
“Suppose he had begun by asking and answering this: Why are we in this situation? What happened?”
Without addressing that from the get-go, without Democrats taking responsibility for creating the opening and opportunity for Donald Trump and his brand, Raskin’s astute analysis of how our Constitution is being shredded, due process and Congress steamrollered, fail to offer any real way back, out, or up.
I answered my friend’s question with another:
“In a speech full of analysis, anecdotes, and great humor, did you hear the words ‘working people,’ ‘middle class,’ or even ‘the economy’?”
No.
Raskin is a sincere, intelligent, passionate, committed American. As a law professor (former editor of the Harvard Law Review), his understanding of the Constitution and its history is unparalleled in Congress. Before Congress, he represented Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition as well as Ross Perot when powers-that-be tried to keep Perot off the Presidential ballot.
He was profoundly open about the suicide of his son, hoping to help others facing such tragedy. He is a cancer survivor, again candid, wearing a bandana in public while his hair grew back.
As for local cred, he’s been coming to the Cape for a long time; people have bumped into him at the far end of Great Island in Wellfleet where a long sandy hike is the only (overland) way there.
But none of that speaks to why much of the middle class and heartland, even people of color and immigrant communities, are abandoning the Democratic Party. The answer: Because they feel the Democratic Party has abandoned them.
Raskin was preaching to the converted in Wellfleet, but anywhere, everywhere, this must be addressed.
When he argues that “the whole country needs a Constitutional refresher course,” true but that doesn’t go to it.
When he welcomes three labels, “liberal” because it emerges from liberty, “progressive” because it means progress, and conservative because he wants to conserve values and principles, great but not specific.
When he scorns people who banned medical research funding for “transgenic” mice because they thought this was creating “transgender” mice (“We’re being governed by morons”), hilarious but beside the key point.
When he talks about “victories” against executive orders, mainly lower court injunctions, this is far from where real political “victories” take place; living rooms, bar stools.
When he recalls being told that the Bill of Rights emerged from the Ten Commandments — “Yes, there are 10 of both of them, OK” — then quotes the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods besides me” alongside Article One, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” profound to the core but will not change our course.
What will?
A pendulum swing, as well as growing realization that this administration and its Republican rubber stamp would wipe out Medicaid to protect millionaire tax cuts and fund ICE. “No Kings” rallies might help, if nothing else offering outlets for outrage.
But this is negative, reactive, in opposition. That’s not how political movements are built.
When Franklin Roosevelt proposed a “New Deal,” he didn’t say, “No Old Deal.” When Lyndon Johnson offered a “Great Society,” it wasn’t “Down With Bad Society.” Trump will say things like “Drain the Swamp,” but we all know his true slogan.
Elections will come, individual races will be won. But Democrats must offer a vision built on broad economic impact that makes social values tangible. That means reversing the outrageous concentration of wealth and power that Democrats as well as Republicans have allowed if not encouraged.
Until then, Jamie Raskin will continue making his strong, soulful speeches — to people who wish they weren’t necessary.
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Another very perceptive commentary Seth the Democrats have been without a solid clear message for some time and unfortunately they are as beholden to the same corporate money interests as the Republicans -the question is who will be the new voice to emerge to speak for the working class and will they even have a chance unless there’s a much bigger change in the political climate and unfortunately much more pain to be experienced before people realize what’s really going on
Jamie Raskin was my congress person. I've spoken with him directly. He gets it. I'm not sure what he is expected to say. Maybe for the next episode, Seth can provide the model speech that progressive officials should be making.