Jimmy Loomis is a Democratic Party activist who has served as the President of the College Democrats at Washington University, and is now the current Vice President of the Young Democrats of Missouri. He took time from his university work to share his thoughts with the West County Democrats about what it means to be a Democrat today; and how we can chart a course to victory by offering not only our vision, but empathy for others who have abandoned the party. This is a summary of his speech.
Referring to the ideals of Jefferson and Jackson, Mr. Loomis remarked that the Democratic Party was founded on Classical Liberalism principles of freedom and liberty; and has always been a champion of the oppressed and a defender of the common man. However, in 2016, the Democratic Party lost 919 legislative races nation-wide. In the State of Missouri, 6 of 6 state-wide races were lost to Republican candidates. How did this happen?
Mr. Loomis suggested two specific failings:
1. We stood against Republicans instead of standing for change. For Democrats to win, we must present ideas and initiatives that change the status quo.
2. In the world of identity politics, Democrats have become viewed as intolerant of diversity in ideas.
Using the University microcosm as an example, Mr. Loomis described a “trigger-warning” system that forces educators to alert students in advance if assigned work contains anything that might offend a student’s sensibilities. There is also a trend on campuses toward speaker dis-invitation; protesting controversial presenters sharing non-mainstream views. This has the effect of blocking opposing views. So, the question becomes: How do you have a dialog when you won’t hear the other side’s position?
Election year 2016 was not a failure of Democratic principles, but rather that they have not been adapted to today and the world we live in now. Mr. Loomis’ suggestion is that the Democratic party focus on what we do well- Freedom, Liberty, pragmatic practical programs… PLUS encourage ideological diversity, acceptance and tolerance.
Further considerations:
–Voters are frustrated and angry with the lack of cooperation within our national elected leaders. As Democrats, we need to ‘humble’ our message and cooperate on programs that benefit the people of the United States, rather than presenting ourselves as purely the resistance.
–Democrats in the Midwest have a great opportunity to take advantage of by fostering racial cooperation with 21st century programs that offer a hand-up, rather than hand outs. St. Louis in particular can be strengthened by unifying divided municipalities, leveraging great public-private partnerships like Cortex and T-Rex, and restoring cooperation throughout the region.
Mr. Loomis concluded his presentation by summing up his recommendations for the Democratic Party:
– Restore Classical Liberalism ideals.
– Accept diversity of opinion
– Embrace new leadership
– Establish the Democratic Party as the one that promotes economic inclusion.
Submitted by Mark Toenjes, WCD Member