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Certainly the incompetence of Donald Trump and his narcissism of insisting he was on the ballot was a big factor in the mid-term election disaster for Republicans. But so was affordability — so many voters not sure if they could pay the bills next month or who are swamped by debt.
Democrats don’t need to point to Trump’s lies, corruption (himself and his cronies) and bumbling mistakes; he takes care of that himself. But, to get elected or re-elected in 2028, I believe Democrats need to address the U.S. economy by making sure every person in it has enough and no one has too much.
There are many ways to do that. Here are a few I suggest: Raise the minimum wage and make sure every worker is paid a living wage. Tax wealthy (top 5%) people at a much higher rate, especially for capital gains. Stop building data centers and using AI to eliminate jobs that real people need. Start treating the environment and climate as an ally, not an opponent. Most importantly, gear the economy to the needs of the worker, not to the investor or the corporation. Make the economy human-centered, not just about GDP, stock prices, and corporate profits.
Good luck, Democrats, and any (elected) official who cares about affordability. The economy should be for the wellbeing of everyone.
Larry Dansinger
Bangor