David Atkins, Washington Monthly - As Illinois Governor JB Pritzker put it, “Bullies respond to one thing only: a punch in the face.” Democrats don’t need to mimic MAGA’s tactics. But they must prove they have the spine to make authoritarians pay. Otherwise, they’re not a political opposition but a speed bump.
Republicans have spent decades learning that they can get away with it. Nixon resigned but was pardoned. Reagan’s team sabotaged Carter and lied about Iran-Contra with no consequences. Bush officials misled the country into war, then walked into cushy think tank jobs. Trump’s first wave of cronies—Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Steve Bannon—faced slaps on the wrist. Trump himself walked free after legal institutions dragged their feet for four years. Why should this time be any different?
MAGA doesn’t fear Democrats because history tells them they need not. They don’t believe that future Democratic presidents will use the IRS to crack down on Project 2025 architects, the DOJ to investigate Christian nationalist groups, or the FBI to follow foreign influence trails back to their political donors. But they should.
Democrats don’t need to become liberal authoritarians. But they need to show they’re not afraid to use the levers of power to defend democracy, not just in lofty speeches but in institutional terms: subpoenas, audits, investigations, regulation, and prosecution....
Democrats can’t wait for economic conditions to shift or for voters to come to their senses 20 months from now. They need to act like a party that intends to govern and govern with force when it’s their turn again. The message has to be clear, consistent, and credible: if you break democracy, you don’t get a quiet retirement. You get consequences
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