Who would have predicted that the Dems would have picked up so many seats in the 2026 Midterms? It was more than a “blue wave.” It was a “Blue Tsunami” and ranks at or near the top of the list of American voters sending a clear message of no confidence to the President of the United States and his political party. So, while we bleeding heart Dems can savor the moment, we should pause to consider what the election results mean and how we should move forward.
This is what the Blue Tsunami does not mean. It does not mean the electorate suddenly has placed its confidence in the Democratic Party and that we have a license to badmouth and look down on MAGAs, especially those who somehow have suddenly seen the light. It does not mean that we can convey arrogance and revamp a “politically correct” agenda where we disparage people who disagree with us on our progressive social agenda promoting trans rights, DEI initiatives, abortion and other social issues, or snub our noses at those who do not have a college degree. The problem that Democrats have had over the last decade is that we have lost a lot of people in the white working class because we are perceived as elitist. Trump saw an opening and pounced on it promoting a faux populism that decimated Democratic support from the working class, mainly the white working class but which in the 2024 election included increasing numbers of black and brown people and immigrants. The Democrats used to be the party of the working class and we lost it. Now is our chance to recapture it—if we can stick to the knitting.
And what is the knitting?
The knitting is to improve the lives of “ordinary people” who in today’s economy are struggling to get by. You know what the triggers of unhappiness have been—the high price of food, gas, diesel, fertilizer, childcare, healthcare, housing, and many everyday items. These are all very real but are only a sign of the real problem, which is that our economy and economic and political system are not working for a whole lot of people. No economic system is perfect, and the capitalism and “free enterprise” system we have inherited has problems related to fairness and equity.
And here is a warning: there will be some in the Democratic Party who will interpret the election results as a mandate for starting over, a kind of kinder and gentler version of the earlier socialist movement. In fact, there are many newly elected officials who call themselves Democratic Socialists. These will be opposed by others who believe that tinkering with the economic system we have can produce better results. If the party finds itself torn by a war between the teardown-and-rebuild approach versus the tinkering approach it could give the Republicans a big opening in 2028.
My unsolicited advice is this: go for Fairness and Equity. But what would that look like?
1. Tax the billionaires. It is obscene that these people on average pay a much lower percent of their income than do their low level employees and often pay zero taxes on their enormous wealth. Musk bragged about spending over a billion dollars to support Republicans in the mid-terms and shrugged it off as pocket change. Other changes should be pursued to get more money from those who can afford to pay.
2. Reform the entire tax system to make it more equitable.
3. Use the money coming in to shore up the social services and supportive programs that have been decimated by Trump—food stamps (SNAP), school lunches, social and health care services including Obamacare, and subsidies for affordable housing. Restore USAID funding in full.
4. Pursue new initiatives. Make the minimum wage a true living wage. It could vary by location but should be at least $20/hour and indexed to inflation like social security.
5. Support labor unions and the expansion of labor unions into new industries.
6. Introduce Medicare for all.
7. Provide free early childhood education/childcare.
8. Get rid of Big Money in politics. Do not allow contributions from corporations or dark money.
9. Split up the huge corporations. Pursue aggressive antitrust enforcement.
10. Get rid of gerrymandering.
Ok, maybe this is not low hanging fruit, but certainly big changes need to be made in a way that does not bankrupt the nation or split the Democratic Party. Of course, it will not happen immediately or all at once. And what the Democrats need is a clear strategy for moving forward and a game plan which holds the party together rather than breaks it apart.
I know, easier said than done.
And I am proud of the American people for standing up against the hateful Trump agenda. Enough is enough. I am hopeful for the future.