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Having been gobsmacked not once but twice by Donald Trump, Democrats at last are moving beyond resistance to confront their core challengereviving the partys competitiveness across middle America.

First, Democrats were flabbergasted by how easily Trump wrested the Republican presidential nomination from a least a dozen more qualified contenders, even though he was not really a Republican, a conservative, or a politician. The second and deeper shock came when Trump stole a victory in the Electoral College despite trailing Hillary Clinton badly in the popular vote.

Democrats braced for the worst, hunkering down to stop a demagogic assault on constitutional democracy. Despite the GOPs shameless complicity in Trumps political vandalism, the nations political and civic institutionsyes, including a free pressthus far have held up pretty well. Trumps failure to engineer an Obamacare repeal or get traction in Congress on any of his other top priorities has reinforced the sense that he may not be able to inflict as much damage as originally feared. Things could changeespecially on foreign policy, where Trump isnt so constrainedbut his administration is beginning to look more shambolic than sinister.

Still, the Trump scare has concentrated Democrats minds in useful ways. Its brought home the realization that the party must expand its appeal geographically as well as demographically to contest Republican dominance of national and state politics. Democrats need to start winning in the red zone.

That will require reaching beyond core partisans and making new arguments to moderates, independents, and disaffected Republicans. One thing Democrats agree on, left to center, is that the party needs to offer voters a positive case for change, not just complaints about GOP extremism.

Thats why Democratic congressional leaders recently came out with their Better Deal agenda. While it mostly reprises populist clichs from the 2016 electionthe rigged economy, and a softer version of Trumps anti-trade stancethe document advances a new theory for why U.S. economic growth has slowed down since 2000 and why wage gains have lagged: The concentration of power in a few corporations has stymied competition across the U.S. economy.

Whatever the merits of that viewit seems plausible in some sectors like financial services or Big Beer, less so in the robustly competitive and innovative tech/internet sectorthe Better Deal reflects the outlook of Democrats from deep blue strongholds and allied interest groups and donors. As such, it has limited relevance to the challenge of winning converts among voters where were not winning: the suburbs, exurbs, small cities, and towns and rural communities between the coasts and outside the big cities.

For that, the party will have to look to leaders who win elections and govern effectively on the nations competitive political terrain. In August, a diverse group of themgovernors, state officials, mayors, and members of Congresslaunched a new platform for staging a Democratic turnaround.

New Democracy is a home base and support network for pragmatic leaders committed to making Democrats a truly national party again. Key figures include Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper; Mayors Steve Benjamin of Columbia, Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans, and Michael Hancock of Denver; U.S. Reps. Jim Hines of Connecticut, Terri Sewell of Alabama, John Delaney of Maryland, and Stephanie Murphy of Florida; former Obama Cabinet officials Tom Vilsack and Ken Salazar; and, Oregon Treasurer Tobias Reed and Georgia State Rep. Scott Holcomb.

These leaders use radically pragmatic means to advance progressive goals. They are known as effective problem-solvers, not ideological warriors.Instead of indulging in populist us versus them rhetoric, they emphasize voters shared aspirations for stronger and broader economic growth. They reach across cultural divides by stressing the common rights and obligations of citizenship rather than the narrower demands of interest and identity groups.

Crucially, these leaders arent interested in waging sectarian battles with other factions over control of the Democratic agenda. While opposed to political purity tests, they understand that Democrats are in the minority because the partys pragmatic wing has shrunk, and needs to be rebuilt. They seek not to impose their views on others, but to build a bigger Democratic tent.

New Democracy provides a platform from which these leaders can develop new ideas and narratives about where Democrats would lead the country; recruit and support like-minded candidates; and start building grassroots support among citizens fed up with the ideological and partisan trench warfare that has paralyzed government in Washington and in too many states.

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This last goal is crucial. As polarization has deepened across U.S. society in this century, political energy, activism, and dollars have migrated toward the right and left poles. This has opened doors to political intolerance and extremism, a new political tribalism that leaves Americans who are not singularly motivated by ideology or partisanship without a political home.

On this score, its no accident that mayors play a key role in New Democracy. As Washington sinks deeper into partisan paralysis, the impetus for creative governing in America has moved from the federal to local governments. Metro regions have become our real laboratories of democracy, as leaders by necessity pursue collaborative strategies to attract innovative businesses and nurture start ups, build modern infrastructure, improve urban schools and help workers get new skills, and test new approaches to combatting crime and poverty. National Democrats have a lot to learn from accountable local leaders who are rebuilding public confidence in progressive government from the ground up.

Whether hes been defanged or not, Donald Trump occupies the White House for the same reason Republicans dominate national and state politicsbecause too many Democrats complacently assumed that the nations changing demographics would guarantee them electoral majorities. Now its clear that the party cant win by energizing a base that isnt big enough.

The pragmatic leaders of New Democracy are determined to broaden the partys base the old-fashioned wayby wooing and winning voters everywhere with more persuasive arguments for change.

Read more from the original source:
How Democrats Can Take Back Middle America - Daily Beast