Will pivot to peace help Democrats regain White House in 2028?

By Walt Zlotow

The Democrats are in disarray following their calamitous defeat last year. Losing all swing states they won in 2020 bodes ill for future success against the MAGA mentality that contains a solid base exceeding 45% of the electorate for three straight elections. Trump may be gone in 2028 but may well be succeeded by another charismatic master of fear and loathing the MAGA base blindly follows.

Democrats appear clueless how to recover their mojo. Critics – including some in the Party – are demanding they go on a nationwide apology tour for allowing a mentally disintegrating Joe Biden to run again, then waiting too long to push him out for relatively unpopular VP Kamala Harris.

An apology tour would only make Democrats look weak, giving Republicans a field day to ridicule their self flagellating opposition.

Democrats need a new start. A good way would be to jettison their long standing support of senseless US wars under Clinton, Obama and especially Biden. They should embrace peace by demanding an end to Israeli genocide in Gaza, then following up by pledging to end all weapons fueling the worst genocide this century.

Democrats must demand an end to the US proxy war against Russia destroying Ukraine, while making Russia stronger… the exact opposite of its intentions. Cutting off all weapons, Intel and logistics to Ukraine will force Ukraine to seek the best peace agreement possible considering their hopeless military position.

Democrats must seek a minimum 50% reduction in defense spending to $500 billion from the current gargantuan $1 trillion.

Democrats should push to end crippling economic sanctions against dozens of countries that accomplish nothing except degrade life for millions of poor souls in countries sanctioned.

Democrats must demand return to normal diplomatic relations with Russia so critically needed but abandoned nuclear agreements can be reinstated. This alone may prevent either intentional or accidental nuclear war.

Democrats should support of a sensible nuclear agreement with Iran which will end sanctions and restore normal diplomatic relations. If achieved this will avert a catastrophic regional war with Iran.

Democrats need to sever ties with the Israel Lobby which funnels tens of millions in US elections to distort a sane foreign policy with Israel as epitomized by enabling their genocide in Gaza.

Out of power, Democrats have no way of implementing these peaceful goals on their own. But adopting this peace platform will put enormous pressure on Republicans to confront Democrats’ abandonment of America’s deranged bipartisan military belligerence worldwide, which threatens human existence.

Given their electoral malaise Democrats have nothing to lose pivoting to peace. It may actually boost their chances in 2028 due to their fervent support of US war policies likely a big factor in 2024 loss.

As evidence, 6,285,000 people who voted for Biden in 2020 did not vote for Harris in 2024. Only just over 300,000 defected to Trump. Vast majority voted 3rd party or stayed home. Polling showed a big factor was Biden’s promotion of war, especially his enabling the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza with over $20 billion in weapons, veto support in the UN and claiming the genocide was merely Israeli ‘self-defense.’

Harris refused to distance herself from Biden’s genocide enabling. The DNC cooperated by refusing to allow a Palestinian leader to speak at the Convention on behalf of the Palestinians’ suffering in Gaza. Harris’s husband proclaimed; “Let me just make this clear, the vice president has been and will be a strong supporter of Israel as a secure democratic and Jewish state, and she will always ensure that Israel can defend itself, period. Because that’s who Kamala Harris is.” Bye bye, anti genocide vote.

As a leader in the peace community, I was in that group who could not vote for a genocide enabler. I dialoged with hundreds of others who vowed never vote for any candidate supporting genocide. That is why few of the Biden defectors did not vote for genocide enabler Trump.

Democrats near lockstep support for US exceptionalism allowing endless war, cowardice in resisting Israel Lobby pressure, and gobbling up endless millions from weapons makers bodes ill for Democrats pivoting to peace.

But doing so will likely improve their chances to regain the White House. Much more importantly, it may lead to ending current wars, preventing impending wars and reducing the needless suffering of tens of millions. Most important of all it may prevent the first nukes fired in anger since August 6-9, 1945.

Will Democrats pivot to peace in their desperate attempt to reoccupy the White House? Tho not likely, we of peace must push strongly for Democrats to reclaim their moral compass on the most critical issue facing humankind.

Walt Zlotow, West Suburban Peace Coalition, Glen Ellyn IL

 

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