Chops

A few days ago, I wrote about Elizabeth Warren's decision to release her DNA test.  Since then, Native American activists have weighed in, complaining about how this clouds the idea of what it means to be a tribal member - again, something Warren never claimed - and again, talking past what Warren actually said and tried to do.  Warren's decision to goad Trump into paying (which he won't do) his share of the bet to a fund that protects Native women from violence was a decent play.

However, I'm willing to concede that Warren wasn't taking into consideration how this would play among Native American activists.  It also stresses how difficult politics can be on the Left these days.  Another example is Kristen Gillibrand.  She took a very active role in forcing Al Franken to retire.  I think that was a shrewd move, but there are plenty of Jewish party figures who remain incensed that Franken was forced from the stage over a relatively smaller matter than those that Brett Kavanaugh, Donald Trump or Roy Moore faced.  Similarly, Kamala Harris is going to get ripped apart for her close work with police as a DA in California.  Finally, Nancy Pelosi has spent her career as a cut-out punching bag for conservative attack media, but now she is taking shots from her own party.  Shots that I don't think are warranted.

Now, if you want to get rid of Chuck Schumer, let me see how I can help you.

It is more than a little interesting that all those examples are women, but of course, Bernie Sanders is a lightning rod for his own positions. Sanders can't pop up anywhere without engendering a massive backlash from people who are still pissed at his lukewarm support for the Democratic Party over the years. 

If there are shining stars in the Democratic firmament right now, they are likely Beto O'Rourke, Andrew Gillum, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and  Stacey Abrams.  While relative youth is a big part of their appeal, they also haven't had to actually govern very much.  They have had smaller roles in state legislatures and city halls.  Once they get into the scrum of national Democratic politics, things will probably go much worse for them. 

The wounds of 2016 are still very raw.  At some point leading up to 2020, Democrats will need to rally around a candidate who can unify the various wings of the party.  Whoever that is will need excellent political chops.  That's what makes O'Rourke so appealing.  He speaks clearly and calmly on issues that unite the party.  He even looks like Bobby Kennedy.

But he's unlikely to win next month (sadly).  Perhaps that allows him to focus on the Presidency, but do we really want a state legislator to jump to the White House?  And who does that leave?

Can Kristin Gillibrand shore up support from those still pissed about Al Franken?  Can Elizabeth Warren show better political skills than she showed this week?  Can Kamala Harris translate her biography into a political message?  Can Chris Murphy be more than "the white guy"?  Aren't Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders too old?

The Democrats have a lot of appealing candidates.  But they represent distinct wings of the party that are still smarting over 2016 and a left wing politics that incessantly cannibalizes itself.

It's going to be a bumpy road.