The Undemocratic Party
Before the recent Republican presidential debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had some strong words about the GOP candidate lineup, calling it a "weird group of folks." But let's talk about what's happening in the Democratic Party for a moment. While the GOP seems to be embracing different candidates, the Democratic Party is putting all its hopes on President Joe Biden, even though not everyone in the party is super excited about it.
Why aren't they having a real competition, like a primary, to choose their candidate? In a democracy, we're supposed to have a say in who runs for president. But it seems like the Democratic Party has already made up its mind, and that doesn't feel very democratic at all. Calling themselves the ‘democratic’ party just feels like a joke.
Walz talked about the problem of people not trusting politicians and the political system anymore. And you know what? He's right, but not for the reasons he thinks he is. We live in a time when most people don't really trust politicians or the way things are done in politics. And that's a big problem for our democracy. If we can't pick from a bunch of different candidates, then what's the point of having a choice? It makes us grateful that our own party does care about giving voters a choice. Walz doesn’t even realize how hard he’s telling on himself and his own party!
Sure, Walz thinks Biden is the best choice for a few reasons. But shouldn't the country be able to hear from different candidates and make up their own minds? By not having a real competition, we're missing out on a chance to have important conversations and choose the person who really represents us. Does Biden represent the Democrat Party? Officially, but there’s no way of really knowing, and that’s on purpose.
If the Democrat Party wants to signal to the world that they actually don’t care about the will of the people, then fine. Because the GOP IS listening to the people.
As we look ahead to the 2024 election, both parties are getting ready to pick their candidates for president. But the fact that the Democratic Party isn't having a real primary raises some big issues. Without a bunch of different voices and ideas, we're in danger. And that's not what democracy is about. Democracy is about having lots of different ideas and making informed choices based on what we believe.
So, as we watch what happens in the next election, let's remember how important it is to have real competition among candidates. Not having one doesn't just limit the choices within the party—it also makes us question how strong our democracy really is.