The Democratic Party is making an irreversible left turn

I remember a time not so long ago, say 2016, when if you called a Democrat a socialist you were slandering them. Today, a good portion of them will get angry if you do not address them as Democratic socialists. It is truly amazing how socialism has become the new fad among Democrats — especially those running for president.

The Democratic Party platform of 2016 that emerged from its convention was aggressively progressive, and every word contained in it was the result of intense debate and horse-trading. It is nowhere near the socialist content we can expect from their 2020 platform.

In 2019, from the rhetoric of those running for president, we can see that it nowhere resembles the party’s platform of 2016.

Nowhere in their 2016 platform is there support for the decriminalization of illegal entry into the United States. In fact, their platform says this with regard to immigration:

“The Democratic Party supports legal immigration, within reasonable limits, that meets the needs of families, communities, and the economy as well as maintains the United States’ role as a beacon of hope for people seeking safety, freedom, and security. People should come to the United States with visas and not through smugglers. Yet, we recognize that the current immigration system is broken.”

Nowhere in the platform do Democrats support “sanctuary cities” or not working in good faith with federal authorities with regard to making sure immigration laws are enforced. This is what the platform sets forth with regard to cooperation:

“We will promote best practices among local law enforcement, in terms of how they collaborate with federal authorities, to ensure that they maintain and build trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve.”

Today, a majority of those running for the Democratic nomination for president support a single-payer health care system, and some want to totally eliminate private health insurance.

The 2016 Democratic Party platform makes no mention of prohibiting private health care:

“Americans should be able to access public coverage through a public option, and those over 55 should be able to opt in to Medicare.”

The Democrats’ goal in 2020 is to do what they wanted to do all along — to have the government control Americans’ access to health care. ObamaCare was only a means to an end.

Today, Democrats running for president agree that illegal aliens have the “right” to health care — period. They do not even make the distinction of their ability to pay for it. Americans do not even have that blanket health care coverage. Nowhere in the platform of 2016 can you find that language.

Today, many Democrats running for president believe that student debt should be forgiven without the obligation of the student providing evidence of hardship or just cause. The 2016 platform says this with regard to student debt:

“Democrats will allow those who currently have student debt to refinance their loans at the lowest rates possible. We will simplify and expand access to income-based repayment so that no student loan borrowers ever have to pay more than they can afford. And we will significantly cut interest rates for future undergraduates because we believe that making college more affordable is more important than the federal government making billions of dollars in profit off those loans.”

And most glaring of all is that nowhere in the 2016 platform does their plank even come close to the Green New Deal of 2019 that calls for all the following acts to be completed within 10 years:

• “Meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources.
• Repairing and upgrading the infrastructure in the United States, including by eliminating pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as much as technologically feasible.
• Building or upgrading to energy-efficient, distributed, and ‘smart’ power grids, and working to ensure affordable access to electricity.
• Upgrading all existing buildings in the United States and building new buildings to achieve maximal energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability, including through electrification.
• Overhauling transportation systems in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector as much as is technologically feasible, including through investment in – (i) zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and manufacturing; (ii) clean, affordable, and accessible public transportation; and (iii) high-speed rail.
• Spurring massive growth in clean manufacturing in the United States and removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing and industry as much as is technologically feasible.
• Working collaboratively with farmers and ranchers in the United States to eliminate pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector as much as is technologically feasible.”

The Green New Deal would be the death knell for the America we know and love. The elimination of modes of transportation and the unilateral, unnecessary surrender of our energy sectors would turn us into a third-world country in no time.

If Democrats in 2020 scrap their progressive 2016 party platform for a clearly defined socialist agenda — as radical as their rhetoric — then they will have crossed the Rubicon as to defining who they are and what they seek if elected.

In America, a candidate for president must be selected by their party before they are elected by the people. Selecting someone based on a party platform that is so out of touch with America’s values will ensure that such a candidate will be unelectable.

I cannot fathom independents, fiscally conservative Democrats and swing voters — who are the linchpin of successful presidential elections — embracing a socialist agenda for America in 2020.

America is not going socialist in 2020. The Democrats’ hatred for the president and their radical lurch to the left will guarantee the reelection of President Donald Trump and will likely mean Democrats lose control of the House as well.

Bradley Blakeman was a deputy assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2004. A principal of the 1600 Group, a strategic communications firm, he is an adjunct professor of public policy and international affairs at Georgetown University and a contributor to Fox News and Fox Business.