Rep. Omar is starting to get on my last nerve...

[VOX]

98. "Defending your own" is a discipline, and it's one big reason why Republicans win so often.

There is ONE thing that Democrats/progressives should learn from Republicans— discipline. Sticking together. Not tearing into one another in public forums or in the press. Supporting the Democratic candidate (or incumbent), even with flaws, because what the opposition has to offer is 1,000 times worse. It weakens the overall message, it weakens otherwise strong Democratic candidates, and it weakens the Party itself.

Worse, lack of discipline results in Republican victories, where laws are ignored and the courts get stacked with right-wing asshole judges.

Remember in 2014, when many Democrats distanced themselves from President Obama as a ”winning strategy,” instead of touting the ACA and other accomplishments? That fiasco resulted in a GOP takeover of congress, where Obama’s SCOTUS pick, Merrick Garland, was shunned and completely ignored. Running away from the Democratic president directly affected the balance of the Supreme Court.

Remember Democrats and progressives abandoning Al Franken—one of our strongest voices— after he was blitzed with a politically motivated right-wing organized hit? He wasn’t even allowed a chance to tell his side of of the story. He was kicked out and dropped like a hot rock.

Liberals, progressives, Democrats— we’re a tough bunch to wrangle. We think for ourselves, and have critical minds. It’s harder for us to stay on-message, because we’re tolerant of differing viewpoints, and we often feel that something’s not right with the message itself.

While all this is well-intentioned, it’s a big reason why Democrats come up short: no discipline, no sticking together, no looking out for our own.

The only reason Trump is still standing is because his party backs him to the hilt, no matter how much damage he does to our democratic republic and its institutions.

Imagine Democrats having a strong, charismatic candidate in 2020, with full, unwavering support from the left and center-left. S/he would destroy Trump and his criminals. (Assuming there will actually be a free and fair election in 2020; with 45 at the wheel, anything’s possible.)