… And why Trump’s talking point against Democrats is not registering with the voters.
During these past weeks, the media has repeatedly asked me the same question regarding the Democratic presidential primaries: Don’t you think the Democratic Party is taking an abrupt turn towards the left?
These questions linger in the air because the Republican Party introduced it as a talking point, a rhetoric trap based on a pretense. And with this false supposition, Republicans absurdly equate with ease those who destroyed Venezuela, Nicaragua, or Cuba, with those they title as “socialists” or “leftists” in the Democratic Party. They applied this strategy in the 2018 elections against Andrew Gillum, confusing enough Latino voters in Miami, who, like me, migrated from the region and are hypersensitive to the term.
In reality, no one in the Democratic Party promotes ideas or policies comparable to those that destroyed democracy and economic opportunities in Venezuela. Those who identify as social democrats or democratic socialists propose solutions for public healthcare and education, or environmental sustainability, comparable to those implemented in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, or Germany—all strong democracies with social market economies highly productive and competitive.
Second, consider the priorities of the Democratic agenda. The Party is focused on a growing economy that is both inclusive and environmentally sustainable, which offers more opportunities for the middle class, the working class, and the small and medium businesses. In healthcare, to cite an example, the nuances range from those who think that we must make a radical and comprehensive reform, to Joe Biden, who proposes a system with a public option. The first group aims to incorporate the country into a universal single payer healthcare system, similar to the systems in Canada, England, or Germany, all capitalist countries with a social emphasis. Biden’s public option allows the citizen to choose the best coverage for them while expanding coverage and lowering the cost of healthcare and medications. According to Biden it is more practical and easier to keep moving forward with Obamacare in order to expand coverage and to work on reducing the cost of prescription medications, surgeries, and other treatments, to prices equivalent to those in other countries comparable to the US. Similar examples of these nuances or paths to achieve objectives that make our economy a fairer system extend to each of the thematic areas mentioned above. What does this have to do with Cuba, Nicaragua, or Venezuela?
Third, Trump and the Senate Republican majority led by Mitch McConnell have done everything to avoid increasing the federal minimum wage or protecting the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the ecosystems that make it viable to live on this planet. The promises to create new jobs in our industries were left behind; now the Trump administration is leading us to an economic slowdown (though some believe recession). The truth is that Trump reduced taxes for the wealthiest sectors, and now proposes higher tariffs for hundreds of products, which ends up being a tax on the consumers, without any result or profit for the country.
And while Republicans try to distract the media with this talking point, polls begin to outline an interesting picture. Biden leads with 32%, increasing and almost comfortably doubling the preferences among Democrats according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll. Moreover, his candidacy would defeat Trump if the elections were this week with 50% vs. 38%, according to the news outlet preferred by the right, FOX News. A series of polls led by Quinnipiac and Emerson shows Biden defeating Trump by large margins in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Ohio. Finally, all the primary Democratic presidential candidates would defeat the incumbent, though by smaller margins.
These results demonstrate that US citizens are not falling victim to manipulations. This appreciation stems from the fact that the Democratic Party focuses on people’s priorities. Meanwhile, it is becoming more apparent every day that Trump’s presidency is a dangerous shift towards an extreme right, promoting hate and polarization based on prejudices that with much effort we started to overcome and leave behind. And as if this was not bad enough, in economic matters they are promoting a dangerous agenda fully committed to the interests of large corporations and families with economic power, neglecting healthcare, education, and better opportunities for both the middle and working classes of our country. It’s that simple.