I disagree with GOP Senator Jeff Flake on almost all policy positions, but his new book makes an interesting point. No, not the anti-Trump stuff. That’s common sense, which is nice to hear, but not newsworthy.
 
I’m talking about the piece where Flake lays into the GOP for being the party of “no” for so long, that they have no positive ideas about governing. Anti-Obama may have won elections, but once in power it provided no common goals to move the country forward. Again, not a great revelation, but interesting that he said it.
 
What’s important here? The Dems are now in danger of doing the EXACT same thing that got us to this point with the GOP. Hillary ran an anti-Trump campaign, with very few positive messages that went beyond her hard-core base. And the current Dems in power are all about anti-Trump, again with no positive suggestions.
 
If the Dems want to move the needle the other way, they need to learn both from the GOPs mistakes, and from Trump’s success. There are a whole lot of people in this country who want to hear that politicians CARE about them again. This used to be a liberal base, and Trump stole it away. Instead of nibbling around the edges for a few votes, the country appears ripe for a politician and/or party that can actually inspire people to WANT to have a government that works for them — instead of the clear sh*t show we have now on both sides of the aisle.
 
Here are a few suggestions to get started on:
1. Medicaid for all (any form of single payer will do, this one seems the most populist right now)
2. A BIG infrastructure plan (makes needed changes with jobs)
3. Jump start clean energy industries, with benefits for as many as possible located in former mining/industrial areas.
 
I’m sure there are more positives out there that can be sold to a variety of sides b/c of the large scale benefits — it’s time to start putting them forward. That doesn’t mean laying off of Trump and the nasty parts of the GOP agenda — just get some positives to go with it!