Chuck Todd Has It Wrong

First, let me say that I really like Chuck Todd. Though, the more I listen to his podcast since he left NBC, I realize that he is a regular guy—albeit, with good connections.

In one of the latest shows, he spent a good amount of time discussing his thoughts on the New York wins of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. In an unusual display of openness, he reflected on being Jewish and the somewhat disconcerting tug that he was starting to feel. I assume that, as the winning candidates are those who question the scrupulousness of Israel’s actions, an unease is settling in for him.

I can tell you, as a lesbian from the 1980s, I know this feeling well. It is scary to feel like your rights could be stripped away in a heartbeat, that your life could be upended in a second because the current administration in power doesn’t condone your existence. I came into my adulthood recognizing the institutional limitations that would structure my life. With the legalizing of gay marriage and the ensuing celebration of the Obama administration (with the White House lit up and on full display), my world opened up. My family (my partner and myself and our two children) were legitimately a family (and on family health insurance through my work as a federal employee).

Chuck then goes on to suggest that these progressive wins could mean the beginning of a Democratic Tea Party—assigning similarities of the progressives to the origins of MAGA. Just as the Republican Party is now, the Democratic Party could splinter, with one sect (the progressives) overpowering the more “moderate” arm of the party. He imagines a progressive hold on the party where other voices are squelched, just like the moderate, John McCain-like Republicans were either brought to heel or run out.

In my 60 years, I have come to recognize that liberal white guys can sometimes fall into the logic trap of “the truth is somewhere in the middle.” I fear Chuck has fallen into this trap. It’s like (from his vantage point), he can see that the Republicans have fallen off the tyranny cliff and (by his logic), the same thing could happen to the Democratic Party. Only time will tell.

For Chuck, the power and splendor of our country shines through its plurality. It becomes ugly when democratic processes are suppressed, when extortion and disrespect go hand in hand as a governing norm. I fully agree.

To compare the roots of MAGA to these progressive wins, however, strikes me as ridiculous and over-simplistic. Such a comparison does not account for an analysis of the substance of these movements. MAGA was established through self-interest, fear, racism, and now hate. The essence of its belief system is exclusionary, and its policies bring to life this world view: mass deportation, infiltration of universities, elimination of DEI programs, and the white-washing of US history. The progressive wing, by contrast, is based on the belief of shared human rights and dignity for all. True, they may disagree with more “moderate” Democrats on policy—what legislation needs to pass to get there. But policy differences, as Chuck often reminds his listeners, are a good thing as long as all voices can be heard. I suggest that the Republican Party has become just what it is because it has accommodated bigotry and hate. Because this has happened to the Republicans, however, does not mean it will happen to the Democrats. In this case, the “truth” does not lie in the middle. It rarely does.

Still, I come back to his discomfort and feelings of dread. I’ve lived with that for more than 40 years. And I do not belittle those feelings. In fact, I think we’d do a lot better as a country if we could at least try to put ourselves in the shoes of others. It is powerfully frightening when an administrative change could mean the end to life as you know it. Just think about the Haitians who were permitted to come to the US under the Obama administration, only to be forced out a decade later by the racist Trump administration (who disgustingly decried Haitians as eating the pets of US citizens). But it is not a fair comparison to say that progressives who call out the actions of the Israeli government are even remotely on the same page as the self-interested, exclusive, fear-mongering MAGAs.

My message to Chuck: Join the incredibly large club of potential outsiders. As different as we are, we need to stick together. Human rights are human rights for everyone. The Democratic Party can be an extraordinarily large tent if its foundation is rooted within an ethic of humanity. Of course, there will be policy differences—differences that should be debated and worked out with respect and dignity. This is what democracy looks like.