Self-Reflection Allows us to Do Better

Atoning for political errors, missteps, and sins

At sundown Wednesday, Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, began. It provides an opportunity for reflection, repentance, and change. For defenders of democracy and the Democratic Party specifically (which is the only major national pro-democracy party), this is as good a time as any to take stock.

The essential prayers for Jews on this climax of the High Holy Days are the Al Chet and the Ashamnu, acrostic prayers that alphabetically enumerate our collective sins. Going through the entire alphabet (in Hebrew, no less!) would be excessive, but working through the first part of the English alphabet can be instructive.

U.S. Capitol in reflection

In that spirit, let’s recognize, make amends for, and vow to avoid the following, when presented with opportunities to transgress the political sins of:

Arrogance: Too many political insiders foolishly insist that all voters listen to politicians 24/7 (hence, they mistakenly assume a level of familiarity with political minutiae). Political elites convince themselves that talking points have saliency beyond hyper-political Americans, that ordinary Americans do not care about immigrants snatched off the streets (leading to anything less than full-throated criticism of ICE), that the most important leadership must emanate from Washington, D.C., and that “democracy under attack” is self-explanatory and motivating for average people.

The antidote to arrogance involves listening to voters, speaking plainly, personalizing the results of Trump’s cruel and misguided actions (How many more dollars will tariffs cost you? What happens if Trump can indict or knock off the air any opponent?), and appealing to Americans’ common sense and innate sense of decency (e.g., it’s cruel and stupid to round up and deport grandmothers). Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is expert at this.

Bullheadedness: Establishment politicians and stuffy insiders too often stick with political hacks rather than embrace effective reformers (whether candidates for the DNC chairman or the mayor of New York). They have failed to listen to the base (which is invariably far ahead of politicians). They have neglected to set the stage for substantial reform of the Supreme Court, which has become a partisan adjunct to the MAGA regime.

The opposite of bullheadedness is pragmatism (choosing what works in practice, which leaders energize voters), humility, curiosity, and respect for a younger generation of leaders and effective voices outside the Beltway. Learning new habits means embracing new media, new platforms, and new expectations for authenticity. It requires discipline to, for example, cheer on lower courts that defend the rule of law but keep up withering criticism of the Supreme Court, which enables authoritarianism through its shadow docket.

Caution/Complacency: It is time to end the ossification of the Democratic Party that comes from clinging to deadwood pols unsuited to 21^st century politics. Enough with the false confidence that certain segments of the electorate can be taken for granted, the flawed assumption that ignoring issues like immigration or crime is better than coming up with better answers than Republicans are offering, and the fantasy that timidly splitting the difference on major issues has wide appeal. No more phony and stomach-turning courtesy extended to “distinguished colleagues” in Congress and a corrupt New York City mayor; no more naive reliance on legacy media to get the message out; and no more treating Trump like he is an ordinary president.

The cure for excessive caution and complacency is experimentation, bold policy ideas that are overwhelmingly popular with voters (e.g., subsidized childcare, paid sick leave, a constitutional amendment to ban dark money), full embrace of alternatives to the legacy media, and support for aggressive reforms (e.g., term limits for the Supreme Court, banning crypto and individual stock trading for everyone in all three branches).

Distraction-itis: Too many political observers and insiders become convinced that everything is a distraction from something else (e.g., occupation of D.C. is a distraction from the Epstein files, which are a distraction from tariffs, which is a distraction from E. Jean Carroll’s ruling, which is a distraction from…). However, democracy defenders cannot shy away from confronting multiple, serious harms inflicted by a president who floods the field with abuses, cruelties, and lies.

Rather than deciding which outrage is distracting from which other outrage, democracy defenders must prioritize our most urgent issues (e.g., mass deportation to El Salvador), as they arise without entirely abandoning other issues. Certainly, one cannot break through the noise by talking about everything all at once. That still means democracy advocates can highlight different things over the course of a week or month. Defense of democracy requires passionately opposing militarization of our streets and Trump’s grotesque corruption and weaponization of the criminal justice system.

Ennui: It is easy to become depressed, fatigued, and defeatist in the Trump era. But we do not have that luxury. Democracy and our fellow Americans, especially the most vulnerable, depend on our resilience and fortitude. Falling prey to cynicism (all politicians are alike), pessimism (voters are permanently unreachable), and depression (I cannot do everything so therefore I will do nothing) emboldens authoritarians’ will.

To counteract ennui, one must take time for joyful activities, family, and friends. Staying in the fight requires keeping up one’s mental and physical health and recharging periodically. Doing as much rather than worrying or doom-scrolling invariably buoys one’s spirits.

Moreover, we must seek inspiration from immigrants struggling to keep their families together, from civil rights advocates working every day on behalf of the powerless, from families caring for loved ones with disabilities, from social workers looking after shut-ins, and from neighbors who unselfishly give time in their community.

If they do not quit, we cannot either.

For those observing Yom Kippur, I wish you an easy fast and g’mar tov (be sealed in the Book of Life).