Opinion: Democrats must again become a big-tent party or face becoming irrelevant

Once a big tent that welcomed diverse viewpoints from across the American landscape, the Democratic Party today faces a crisis of identity and relevance that threatens its very existence as a national political force.

In recent years, the party has increasingly narrowed its appeal, alienated millions of potential supporters, and ceded vast swathes of the country to Republican control.

Its aggressive demands for ideological conformity on hot-button issues like abortion is fast becoming a hard pill to swallow for some Democrats. Just four short years ago, nearly half of America’s voters identified as Democrat, with one-third disagreeing with the party’s position on abortion. Today, however, Democrats who deviate from the party line on certain issues often find themselves bullied, harassed , ostracized and even excommunicated from the party.

The result has been a vicious cycle of declining Democratic representation and influence as party leaders adopt ultra-progressive policies at the expense of Blue Dog Democrat values, writing off entire regions of the country as “red states.”

Case in point: In 2009, West Virginia Democrats held 79 seats in the state’s House of Delegates. Today, that number has dwindled to 11 . Democratic state officials, who were personally opposed to abortion and voted that way, either lost their seats by being painted with a broad “pro-choice-Democrat” brushstroke or because they were abandoned by their party.

This no-win situation has played out across the country. Democrats now hold 10 or fewer seats in 17 of the nation’s state senates . Many moderate Democrats feel politically homeless. When asked about his decision to leave the Democratic Party this year, Nebraska state Sen. Mike McDonnell said that the party’s drift away from his constituents’ values was a primary factor.

These dramatic shifts in political balance extend well beyond the ebb and flow of normal political tides. They are a seismic realignment that could be reshaping American politics for generations to come.

Democratic leaders at the federal, state and local level have failed to run candidates who truly understand and represent the values of more conservative districts. With that, they have lost elections and squandered real opportunities to champion the common man.

The exodus from the Democratic Party is not limited to elected officials, though. Increasingly, Democratic voters are questioning whether to follow DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison and Vice President Kamala Harris as they edge toward the radical cliff. The party platform they just pushed through at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is leaving many rank-and-file Democrats wondering when they will have to abandon ship.

Their hard-line policies end up harming the very people Democrats claim to champion. As the party retreats from large portions of the country, they have ceded not only control of state legislatures and governorships, but also policies that affect everyday Americans. Core Democratic policies such as paid family leave and expanded child tax credits enjoy broad popular support across party lines. But issues like health care access, education funding and workers’ rights — increasingly decided at the state level — are falling victim to untethered GOP-control.

You simply cannot continue running East Coast- and West Coast-style Democrats in Middle America and expect winning results.

Many Democrats, tired of government overreach and elitist ignorance of how national and swamp-concocted policies actually affect working men and women, are either switching to the Republican Party or declaring themselves independent.

They are also putting their money and their homes where their mouth is, abandoning liberal enclaves such as California and New York for low-tax, low-cost, low-regulation states like South Carolina, Texas and Florida.

If Democrats hope to reverse this alarming trend, party leaders across the board are going to need an intervention. It is time to undertake a serious self-reflection and realignment.

Rebuilding a big tent Democratic coalition will require some difficult conversations and adequate space for a diversity of viewpoints, particularly on contentious social issues. A Democrat who opposes abortion rights, supports strong labor protections and expanded health care access should feel just as welcome in the Democratic Party as a coastal liberal who supports abortion rights.

There must also be a new generation of Democratic leaders who authentically represent the values and experiences of their communities. This will require recruiting candidates from a wider range of backgrounds and empowering them to tailor their message to local concerns, rather than forcing them to conform rigidly to the national platform.

The stakes could not be higher. A Democratic Party that can compete in all 50 states is essential for the health of American democracy, a counterbalance to Republican dominance, and an assurance that diverse viewpoints have voice in the halls of power.

Reclaiming the party’s broad appeal will require humility, strategic patience and a willingness to engage voters who may have felt abandoned by the party in recent years. But the alternative — continued marginalization and irrelevance across vast swathes of America — is far worse.

The future of the party — and perhaps of American democracy itself — hangs in the balance.

Catherine Glenn Foster, M.A., J.D., @cateici , catherineglennfoster.com, is a constitutional attorney, president and CEO of First Rights Global, and board member of Democrats for Life of America. Kristen Day, @prolifedem , democratsforlife.org, is a long-time political strategist and executive director of Democrats for Life.

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