2014-11-06 – There’s meme in the world of negotiation. That’s “meme,” as in “Me! Me!”

The meme says that when competing Me’s are fighting over their shares of the pie, the best way to settle the fight is to expand the pie.

Republicans like to think that they are the party of expanding the pie. Or at least they like to say they are. That’s the message they bring to every election. They also like to say that Democrats are the party of bringing more Me’s to the negotiation: women, African-Americans, Latinos, LGBTs—everyone who isn’t white, Christian, and male.

Democrats like to say that voters are voting against their own interest. But wouldn’t you vote Republican if it were true that Republicans expand the pie and Democrats are only bringing more mouths to feed? I would. Democrats do little to counter this message. They even agree with the second part of it with pride (as they should). So when Democrats say that voters vote against their own interest, they are just calling the electorate stupid.

I think you are stupid, but vote for me.

Democrats used to be for the workers, for the middle class. They say they are still, but they sneer at workers. They sneer at the middle class. They’re constantly backing away from what they say are their core values.

Who wants to vote for Democrats Against Obama when you can vote for Republicans Against Obama?

In the last election, pundits wondered if Republicans would finally learn their lesson. My question is whether Democrats will finally learn theirs.

Stand for something! Stand together! Stop belittling the people who you say are your natural constituency.

And be clear about one thing: Republicans are not the party of the expanded pie, Democrats are. Republicans support policies that more and more take money out of the pie and deliver it to an elite few. Democrats say they want to reverse that trend. Well, they’re not going to do it if they don’t fight for what they believe in.