No wonder the Democratic party polls so low in approval
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Former Rep. Barney Frank, a liberal icon who was a key architect of the landmark Wall Street regulations Democrats enacted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, has entered hospice care at his home in Maine. And as one of his last acts, he is preparing to release a book repudiating his party’s left flank.
A champion of liberal causes during his 32 years representing Massachusetts in the House, Frank says progressive Democrats have “embraced an agenda that goes beyond what’s politically acceptable.”
“Until we separate ourselves from that agenda, we don’t win,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
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Known for his acerbic wit and sometimes combative style, Frank chaired the House Financial Services Committee through the heart of the 2008 financial crisis, from 2007 to 2011. His name is synonymous with Democrats’ last signature achievement in the financial policy space — a sweeping 2010 rewrite of Wall Street oversight known as the Dodd-Frank Act that put new scrutiny on U.S. banks.
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His latest book is set to be released later this year (“I face a literal deadline, so I don’t know how we’ll adjust to that,” he said of the timing). He’s hoping “to use my reputation and my record of being on the left to give courage to many of my colleagues who I know agree with me but are inhibited from saying so.”
“For a lot of my colleagues, the argument has been, ‘well, we don’t support defund the police or open borders, and we don’t say we do,’” Frank said. “But my point is, no, it’s not enough … to be silent. We have to explicitly repudiate it.”
He says he’s “not arguing that anybody should stop his or her advocacy.”
“But it’s one thing to advocate something knowing that you’re going beyond the current viewpoints, and another to make it a litmus test,” he said.In the progressive-moderate clash roiling his new home state, Frank supports Gov. Janet Mills for Senate over Graham Platner.
“I worry a little bit about the tendency on the Democratic side to fall for the flavor of the month,” he said, though he credited Platner for focusing his attacks on incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins, not Mills. “There is this flirtation or this attraction of people who are new and who are very good at articulating a response to the anger, but without talking about what you do about it.”
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“But it’s one thing to advocate something knowing that you’re going beyond the current viewpoints, and another to make it a litmus test,” he said.
This is his most important statement. The party needs to accept that Democrats are not losing on trans issues, police accountability, etc. Most of these issues are supported by large majorities of Americans. That does not mean that those issues need to be front and center in every election. It can be implied by prior statements how a candidate will vote when in office and that can be enough.
But there is a problem if we have Democrats running actively against progressive issues, or candidates taking right-wing bait and declaring that they are ready to toss progressives under the bus. Or Democrats who haven't the balls to declare their support for issues already supported by a majority of Americans. Those Democrats will bring the party down with continued losses.
For example, any Democratic candidate not willing to declare that we need to put the brakes on our continued unconditional support of Israel won't win. Any Democratic candidate who doesn't support women's right won't win. Any Democratic candidate who says they don't support socialism had better be ready to explain how they understand "socialism" and if they understand the difference to Democratic Socialism. Call those litmus tests if you want, but they are the reality.
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I made it 3m52s in and stated feeling queasy and didn't want to risk another minute.
Coincidentally (or maybe not), Matt Yglesias' column today is about how Ken Martin sucks and needs to be replaced. His job is raising funds for the party and right now the RNC has 15x the cash on hand of the DNC, and the DNC has more debt than cash.
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Former Rep. Barney Frank, a liberal icon who was a key architect of the landmark Wall Street regulations Democrats enacted in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, has entered hospice care at his home in Maine. And as one of his last acts, he is preparing to release a book repudiating his party’s left flank.
A champion of liberal causes during his 32 years representing Massachusetts in the House, Frank says progressive Democrats have “embraced an agenda that goes beyond what’s politically acceptable.”
“Until we separate ourselves from that agenda, we don’t win,” he said in an interview Tuesday.
and
Known for his acerbic wit and sometimes combative style, Frank chaired the House Financial Services Committee through the heart of the 2008 financial crisis, from 2007 to 2011. His name is synonymous with Democrats’ last signature achievement in the financial policy space — a sweeping 2010 rewrite of Wall Street oversight known as the Dodd-Frank Act that put new scrutiny on U.S. banks.
and
His latest book is set to be released later this year (“I face a literal deadline, so I don’t know how we’ll adjust to that,” he said of the timing). He’s hoping “to use my reputation and my record of being on the left to give courage to many of my colleagues who I know agree with me but are inhibited from saying so.”
“For a lot of my colleagues, the argument has been, ‘well, we don’t support defund the police or open borders, and we don’t say we do,’” Frank said. “But my point is, no, it’s not enough … to be silent. We have to explicitly repudiate it.”
He says he’s “not arguing that anybody should stop his or her advocacy.”
“But it’s one thing to advocate something knowing that you’re going beyond the current viewpoints, and another to make it a litmus test,” he said.In the progressive-moderate clash roiling his new home state, Frank supports Gov. Janet Mills for Senate over Graham Platner.
“I worry a little bit about the tendency on the Democratic side to fall for the flavor of the month,” he said, though he credited Platner for focusing his attacks on incumbent GOP Sen. Susan Collins, not Mills. “There is this flirtation or this attraction of people who are new and who are very good at articulating a response to the anger, but without talking about what you do about it.”
In the progressive-moderate clash roiling his new home state, Frank supports Gov. Janet Mills for Senate over Graham Platner.
Mills said she does not have the financial resources to keep her campaign going. She recently stopped spending money on advertising.
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With all due respect to Franks, in my humble opinion, he has lost the plot.
I respect the fact that he intends to show the sincerity of his views, given the facts and circumstances.
I have no ill will toward him, and wish for him what I would wish for any good person-- a painless transition from this world to the next.
However, I can not agree with his politics, in general.
It's been de rigueur to attack the left for as long as I can remember.
It's not productive. It's counter-productive, and, considering the numerous, various sources over the years-- it's a sad, if not a pathetic phenomenon akin to Stockholm Syndrome.
Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, Franks will go down in history as something of milquetoast politician.
The American people want the New Deal as much as they have always wanted it, no matter the wrecking balls that have been taken to it.
Democrats should 1. stop their internecine warfare; 2. stop supporting these foreign wars and; 3. truly focus on the need the American people have for a functioning society.
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