Give Gov. Maura Healey credit for telling the NYT that Dems need to focus more on economic and working-class issues. In the Times interview, she also criticizes the Biden administration’s past immigration policies and says she will remain open to working with President Trump when and if possible. Bottom line: Healey proves once again she’s a pragmatic progressive — and that she gets much of what ails Democrats of late. But …
… She doesn’t get what ails Dems entirely if she truly believes they have nothing more than a “brand problem” when it comes to DEI issues. She doesn’t seem to understand that there’s an idealistic side to DEI – and then there’s the ideological side to DEI. The former represents the general ideals and sentiments underlying a desire for more diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s the ideological side of DEI – its more radical adherents and oppressive dogmas, its formal programs that sometimes resemble indoctrination sessions, its maddening political language – that’s driving many moderate voters away from Dems. It’s driving many Democrats nuts too, like Pete Buttigieg, who’s been hammering away at how party officials approach diversity and inclusion issues, asserting it more often than not alienates the very voters they’re trying to attract. “It’s how Trump Republicans are made,” Buttigieg recently said of the stultifying language and robotic thought-process of many party leaders and activists. … Josh Barro at the Atlantic says the problem goes beyond just “DEI-speak,” asserting the entire identity politics world-view that underpins much of DEI needs to go if the party is serious about stopping Donald Trump and other MAGA demagogues.
I think it’s critical for Dems to start differentiating between idealistic DEI versus ideological DEI, between more moderate DEI views and policies versus radical DEI views and policies. The latter is killing Dems. … Fyi: The Globe and Herald have more on Healey’s NYT interview.
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