For 2020, the Democratic Party is rich in good to extremely good options for nomination to be the next President of the United States of America. From Kamala Harris to Cory Booker, from Jay Inslee to Elizabeth Warren, from … to …, there are literally have dozens of (potential) candidates who would be good person to vote for and not simply ABT (Anyone But Trump).
With candidates announcing seemingly every day, this is a call to pay very serious attention to Governor Jay Inslee during the primary season and beyond. This is not an endorsement of Inslee (even as I have great respect for him and am taking seriously the potential of supporting him in the primary), but a call to take his core message seriously:
For far too long, far too many have consider “environment” a special-interest area, divorced from the rest of policy and that “climate” needs to wait its turn in the policy agenda rather than something truly critical that requires action (now) and is intertwined with virtually every other policy arena and where failure to act dooms progressive agendas (across the board) to failure. And, as that ‘far too long’ has been going on, the challenges of and risks of climate change have simply worsened, making aggressive action even more imperative with each passing moment. And, of course, the #CultOfTrump GOP regime is moving the nation the wrong way just when aggressive action is required and becoming ever more feasible.
Re feasible, there is good news within this dismal space. Renewable energy is no longer just a cleaner option, requiring paying attention to ‘externalities’ for economic justification, but increasingly the cheaper power option even within structures built to favor polluting fossil-fuel incumbents. Plunging battery prices are enabling ever more transportation cases to be true in this way as well. These, and many other trends, are making more people aware that ‘going green’ is the better economic case.
Perhaps the brightest star in the Democratic universe, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC — how many D politicians are getting branded/known just by initials?), has helped shine a spotlight on the urgency and payoff potential for climate action. While, in varying ways and names, the ideas of a Green New Deal have been around for awhile (decades?), she has brought a visibility a Green New Deal simply didn’t have prior to late 2018. And, polling is making clear that there is massive public support (among Ds, Independents, and even Republicans) for the core ideas and principles of a Green New Deal.
The next POTUS must have climate action front and center, core to their entire concept of governance, and something that they will make a priority for action day in, day out through their Presidency.
Real support for and engagement with the Green New Deal (even as details will be developed, fought over, … for the next some years) might be a reasonable surrogate for this. Many (potential) candidates have already expressed their support.
That list is growing. Gillibrand has endorsed the Green New Deal. Inslee, who is not in the tweet, has. And, …
However, simply signing up for the Green New Deal as some form of litmus test does not a climate hawk make. What is the past record? Who do they listen to and surround themselves with? What policies are they truly promoting? What is the willingness to engage on the issue when stumping?
For many years, strong statements about climate action have generated (among) the largest applause lines from Democratic Party voters. In 2019/2020, perhaps our candidates will actually hear and understand that being a Climate Hawk isn’t just necessary, isn’t just good policy, but is great politics as well.
In the selection of the next
President of the United States of America, we must take Jay Inslee(‘s message) very seriously:
the next President must take climate change seriously
As to this Democratic primary voter,
only a Climate Hawk will earn my vote.
1 response so far ↓
1 John Egan // Jan 30, 2019 at 8:52 pm
Why is it that the counties that actually produce the food, fiber, and fuel we use have become so overwhelmingly GOP?
Not only does the “Green New Deal” seek to support environmental initiatives, but its proponents use language that is fundamentally hostile to capital and international finance. While I am no fan of the current economic order, I am not so foolish as to think that the system can be upended by a mass movement of people next Thursday who promptly forget about it by Monday. Which is, unfortunately, one of the most debilitating aspects of Democratic voters.
Trump bet the house on the Midwest and won. Why? One can say racism, but the economic dislocation in the Midwest is profound and the Dem message isn’t resonating. You know – – auto manufacturing, trucking, energy-intensive agriculture? The Dems have been shrinking in the Midwest for a generation. It’s gonna be pretty hard to win the electoral college if the Dems only take Illinois.
I can assure, the GOP will use aspects of any “Green New Deal” and comments by prominent Dems to scare the bejesus out of suburban voters and voters from small manufacturing cities.
Trump may be despicable, but there are a lot of voters who find the Democratic agenda a tough pill to swallow, too. For 20+ years, progressives just can’t seem to understand why everybody doesn’t vote Dem. Perhaps if they gave it serious thought, more Dems would get elected.