After what has been the craziest election most of us at IHS can remember, there has been an outbreak of panic and distress. To many at our school, a Trump presidency means troubled times, and Election Day’s results seem to be weighing on the souls of the liberals who make up a majority of the student populace. The reactions I have witnessed range from disbelief to calm planning to hysterical pronunciations of intent to assassinate both the president-elect and his VP. Among all these reactions, which is the most sensible one? In my view, the best possible way to maximize the positive results of Trump’s reign will be to work with him as much as possible, and oppose him in areas where liberals cannot afford to compromise.
This election cycle has been as insane as it is in large part due to the extent of our country’s polarization. The days of Democrats and Republicans working together to a common goal seem over, and a new age of total political war has been ushered in. However, instead of continuing to villainize the GOP, the Democrats must attempt to work together with the Republicans, lest the latter implement the worst of their policy proposals. Compromise seems to be a long-forgotten tool, but it is one of the best the Democrats have at their disposal. If the party can corral its members to acquiesce with the Trump administration in issues such as trade, infrastructure, and health care, it may have a better chance to block the more regressive portions of the GOP agenda such as its opposition to abortion rights and other such social causes. Additionally, if the Democrats can agree to a compromise on immigration—say, the wall or something similar is built with the proviso that current non-criminal illegal immigrants can stay permanently without citizenship—this could be huge, solving one of the most hotly contested issues of our time without giving up too much.
Of course, compromise can only take a party so far. The Democrats also need to refocus on local, state, and congressional elections. In the midterms of the past decade, it has been a tradition for the Democrats to have poor turnout, usually resulting in serious gains for the Republicans. To successfully check Trump’s power, the Democrats will need a massive overhaul in message. The bland, overwhelmingly elitist message that has been forthcoming from the Democratic candidates in recent years is quickly losing favor with the American people. One of the major reasons Trump was chosen was his economically populist message, which reached out to millions of disadvantaged Americans who normally vote blue. To rectify this, Democrats must come up with better candidates than those such as Evan Bayh in Indiana, who are clearly corrupt and don’t have the best interests of their constituents in their hearts. However, this is not the whole story. Russ Feingold, a populist-leaning candidate for the Senate in Wisconsin, was narrowly defeated on November 8, even though his message certainly resonated with the Wisconsin populace, having formerly represented them in the Senate. These and similar results paint a clear picture: the Democrats need to start getting serious about the Senate. They must focus on states with close races and ignore realistically hard-to-win states such as Georgia. While it does seem as if Trump will drive many Democrats to the polls come 2018, they must not rely on this, and instead must pour their funds into each and every winnable race.
While speculation is certainly gratifying, it is also practical to get a grip on student opinions around our school, possibly reflecting more widely held beliefs. One sophomore I spoke to voiced his support for the idea that the Democrats should “work towards compromising with Republicans” as this will aid them with a “convincing moral argument” that they are the superior party.
“In my opinion, the Democrats’ best choice at this point is to work across the aisle with Republicans. We have all had enough of stagnation in Congress, and I hope that despite their loss this election, the Democrats form a constructive opposition in contrast to the obstructive one of the past six years. I also hope that come the midterm elections, the Democrats move away from solely being a party of minority interests and that they embody policies more relevant to the majority of middle-class Americans, and I think that this change can make a huge difference in the outcomes of 2018 Senate and House races.”
A different student I asked said that the Democrats always have the option of protesting, but gave an explanation as to why this is futile.
“Not everything Donald Trump said he wants to do is going to happen since it has to be approved by the rest of the government. Not all of Trump’s policies are going to get passed, especially extremely conservative ones that will not be good for the country, as the rest of the government has to agree with and approve of his ideas.”
This is a good point, as of course there were many anti-Trump Republicans to go along with the myriad Democrats in opposition. Another student was more optimistic, saying that Trump “can’t be that bad.” He said, “They should give him a chance and hope his advisors will give him enough guidance that he won’t self-destruct our nation.”
I can only hope that this becomes the attitude among the Democrats. It would be nice to see something get done in this country for once. However, Trump’s predicted picks for his cabinet do not seem conducive to this. Sarah Palin, Ben Carson, Jeff Sessions, and Newt Gingrich, among others, do not seem like rational and grounding advisors who will keep us afloat for four years. Add to that the big business CEOs that Trump seems poised to appoint to Treasury Secretary and to head the EPA, and Trump’s presidency does not seem like a cakewalk for liberals.
When all the possible outcomes are weighed, a Trump presidency certainly seems likely to damage America, not make it great. However, there is still a chance. If Democrats are able to work with their old foes and stand strong where it matters most, they can salvage the country from very possible ruin.