I get what you are saying, but having lived for as long as I have, I've witnessed how deeply polarization has crept into our society, bringing with it a resurgence of open racism and misogyny that I can't ignore. It's become clear that, for many, voting is less about policies that could genuinely improve their lives and more about affirming a sense of identity that is increasingly racialized and gendered. This reality is painfully evident in the electorate's reluctance to support candidates who don't fit a narrow mold, especially women and Black women. Even Obama, despite his broad appeal in 2008, faced a drop in white support in 2012, and it was not over policy but due to identity-driven backlash - a whitelash to be specific.
While it's true that the Democratic establishment's centrist strategy has often alienated its base, this problem, I feel, goes beyond their outreach tactics. The deeper issue is that our society's identity biases continue to overshadow policy, creating a situation where voters may choose candidates who reinforce their sense of identity, even to their own detriment. This challenge is one I've seen harden over the years, making it difficult to move toward a future that prioritizes substantive change over superficial divisions. And I don't know how we get passed that. I know it's not happening in my lifetime.
you reap what you sow
