Democrats need to be doers

With the general election less than a month away, the Democratic Party has an alluring opportunity to alter the trajectory of the country and thwart the agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration and the Republican-controlled Congress.

First and foremost, the Democrats must promote a clear ideological platform. It cannot be simple talking points of lowering gas and food prices. How are you going to achieve it? What is the strategy? They should fully embrace reducing or eliminating tariffs. The Democrats should channel President Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, which called for the reduction of trade barriers. As stated in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, Congress has the sole power to levy tariffs and tax imported goods, not the executive branch.

Furthermore, if the Democratic Party regains the majority in both houses of Congress, Democrats must aggressively focus the next two years on winning back the White House in 2028. Spending time seeking political retribution and reprisal against Trump and members of his Cabinet would be ill advised and nonproductive. The American people want to see results, not interminable congressional hearings. Impeachment is meaningless unless a conviction is secured, which would require two-thirds of senators present.

Finally, the Democratic Party must actively seek the support of moderate and centrist voters in both parties as well as independents. The extremists on both sides of the political spectrum have hijacked the nation’s narrative at the expense of voters in the middle. It will be these voters who ultimately determine the outcome in 2026 and 2028.

The American people want their political leaders guided by integrity, honor and pragmatism. Bipartisanship, respect and compromise must be embraced and not be seen as a weakness.

We don’t want fighters. We want doers.

Lawrence E. Bonk, Roselle