By Sean Smith
“It’s as if the election didn’t happen.” That’s the all too common lament of progressives and liberals these days. It’s the excuse used to explain Democrats failure to pass needed legislation related to issues such as gun safety or prevent enactment of bad bills like sequestration.
The lament lays bare progressives’ misunderstanding of modern politics. Democrats’ to be fair have done an outstanding job winning elections, especially national and statewide ones. Democrats have won the presidential popular vote five of the last six elections. Given the country’s changing demographics, this trend could continue into the foreseeable future.
The Republicans and their message have been beaten at the polls; they should admit defeat and let Democrats govern. That the GOP doesn’t concede has left many Democrats stunned, asking why the Republicans won’t get in line.
Here’s a little secret, despite what we are told elections in and of themselves don’t have consequences. That’s because politics is a game and Democrats have forgotten how it’s played.
Many progressives don’t like hearing that governing is a game. Yet, this rejection of the political reality is at the heart of the Democrats’ failure to govern effectively. Politics is the most important game, one that determines who gets what, when. But the fact that politics has life and death ramifications, doesn’t change it’s still a game and there are paths to victory.
The first step is to realize the game’s goal isn’t to win elections. Winning an election merely determines who gets to play. Governing, the actual passage of legislation and drafting of policy things that can change people’s lives is the real game. Winning the governing game is the aim of the Republicans. This difference in focus explains why the GOP is more effective at shaping the national agenda.
But progressives need not despair; not all is lost, for the game of American politics is the same as it’s always been. It’s about rewards and punishments, winners and losers. To move toward a legislative goal, one can’t wish the opponents away. Rather, one must find out what they want and either get it for them or deny it to them. It’s that simple.
Democrats need to continue their focus on winning elections, but they also need to concentrate on electing players who have guts, a steadfast belief in progressive policies, and an unwillingness to compromise. Democrats need to nominate candidates who can win elections and excel at the political game. If they don’t, the party’s legislative agenda will remain vulnerable to the GOP. And it will be as if elections didn’t happen for years to come.
Sean Smith is a student of American history and writes political thrillers such as UNLEASHING COLTER’S HELL from his home in Western Washington. Follow him on Twitter: @parkthrillers or on his blog at: www.seandavidsmith.blogspot.com
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