To Succeed, You Need a Plan
There is political wisdom in one of Jesus’ parables. He phrased it with a question. Which of you intending to build a tower, doesn’t first count the cost to see if it can be completed? Or, what king contemplating going to war, doesn’t first consider if he has enough soldiers to win, and if he doesn’t, sends an ambassador to make peace?
Reality has a way of imposing its will. Good intentions require resources. Courage can be foolish. Make-believe is not strategy. Prudence may be wise.
As Democrats contemplate what we want to achieve in the next two years, in Madison and Washington, what should we be taking into account? What resources do we have to work with? Can we get done what we want to get done?
Some believe we have all the resources we need to achieve our goals, a view expressed forcefully in a recent article in One Great Story, a New York newsletter. “Democrats have been presented a mandate to govern aggressively … Democrats have won the White House, and the Senate. They have been actively called upon by voters — the majority of voters, the majority of electors, the majority — to offer this country vigorous and far-reaching protections, support, and stability.”
The only thing missing is courage. “The Democratic Party … , , has approached politics and power with fear, not assuredness or moral authority. For decades … Democrats have governed from a crouch. … And in their sops to bipartisan comity, and after all their defensive concessions to the opposition … Democrats have gained almost nothing. … Good-bye to all that, buttercups. Placation of the opposition is morally suspect, but also, it doesn’t work.”
Here in Wisconsin where Republicans control the Assembly 60-38, and the Senate 20-12, Our Wisconsin Revolution (OWR) has proposed six “strong progressive policies as centerpieces of a transformational 2021-23 state budget.” The strategy to get the Republican leaders to go along, according to the executive director, is for the Governor to “kick them in the nuts.”
The desire and emotion are fervent, but the Orthodox commentary on Jesus’ parable applies. “It is not enough to be fervent; one must become sensible.” Fervor alone turns into “self-deception” or “fanaticism”.
How do we get from here to there? What resources do we have? Where are the votes?
A 3-vote majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is the reality. A 50-50 tie in the Senate is the reality. The Party is a broad coalition. Not all members think alike. Districts they represent are not similar. This is a good thing. If the Party was not a broad coalition made up of disparate parts it would not be the majority. The downside is reaching agreement among all the members will be difficult. This, also, is reality.
Recognizing and reconciling different interest and goals is the art of politics. It is hard work and requires an attitude that allows for accommodation. Confrontation must not be our only tactic. The willingness to move forward and progress with something less than everything we want is necessary if we also want stability. For without stability, no achievement lasts.
Aristotle’s advice to each of the two parties of his time was when in power to pursue not only its own interests but also to take care of the needs of the other. When neither pursues what is “fair and acceptable all around,” the result is “constant strife and civil war.” We are living that truth.
Joe Biden won the Democratic nomination and the general election by telling voters we can put aside our differences and work together. He condemned the violence and prejudices tearing us apart. His consistent message is, we can do better. He is effective because he acts out his message, avoiding personal attacks, giving his opponents space and refusing to be insulted. He has given us a physical demonstration of the change being offered. Voters responded.
Many of Biden’s policy proposals are far reaching. He has described them, however, with moderate language and so their appeal is broader. Voters are not scared by the rhetoric. Moving forward toward achieving any political goal requires adding votes and building broader support. Hyping the expectations and stoking the emotions of your strongest partisans is self-defeating.
The willingness to accommodate doesn’t mean a lowering of goals. Propose the policies you think are necessary. Get what you can with the votes that are available. Don’t burn your bridges. Set the stage for getting more votes in the next election.
Ultimately, the voters decide. They are the audience. Convincing your neighbor who now disagrees with you will bring change faster than demanding the president or governor act when the votes aren’t there. It is up to us. We are responsible.
Douglas Kane is the author of "Our Politics: Reflections on Political Life" published in 2019 by Southern Illinois University Press
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