Return to “Normalcy” vs. Progressivism
On March 5th, eight Democratic senators voted against Senator Bernie Sanders’ amendment within the new COVID-19 relief package to raise the minimum wage to 15 dollars. Constituents were outraged by this betrayal—the COVID-19 pandemic had financially devastated working-class families across the country, and many were hoping for the new Democratic majority in both branches of Congress to at least lend a helping hand.
Out of the controversial eight Democratic senators, Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona drew the most heat after a C-SPAN recording of her went viral on Twitter. The video showed her curtseying while sarcastically voting “no” with a thumbs down. It also didn’t help that she had brought a chocolate cake to the Senate floor. Needless to say, there were many Marie Antoinette comparisons made.
This begs the question: How could these Democratic senators vote against such a popular Democratic measure? Don’t the Senate and House have a Democratic majority? And don’t we have a Democratic president?
The short answer is simply that conservative Democrats exist. Although they are a minority in today’s Democratic party, which is dominated by liberal politics, it’s unsurprising to witness congressmen from overwhelmingly red states—like Joe Manchin of West Virginia—stop Democratic bills in their tracks in favor of more moderate initiatives or “bipartisanship.”
The long answer is that many Democratic voters have bought into the idea that a so-called “return to normalcy” equates to progressivism. In reality, using former president Donald Trump as a new benchmark for a “bad Republican” will ultimately backfire on those who wish for progressive laws to be enacted, like a minimum wage that just barely makes up for the inflation that has occurred over the past few decades.
There is a lot to be discussed, from “girlboss” memes criticizing the mainstream neoliberal identity politics of the Democratic Party to the notion that Democrats and Republicans are fundamentally the same (the latter of which isn’t really exactly true, but that’s for another story.) At the end of the day, it all boils down to one question: is the “spirit of bipartisanship” really the most important priority for Democrats right now? Or, is it supporting and bettering the welfare of those who voted them into office in the first place?
If the Democratic party is to survive twenty-thirty years into the future with the same principles it supposedly holds true today, it has to be able to stand up for them.
by Athena Li