Democrats: Don't Forget That You're Supposed to Be a Party!

Jim Hightower on May 13, 2026

Washington's Democratic Party establishment keeps demanding that progressive members tone down their criticism of billionaire oligarchs and corporate autocrats. Why? Because the insiders want to rebrand the party as ideologically moderate. "Time to get serious," they bark.

Two things: First, on the ideology question, I'm with Woody Guthrie: "Right-wing, left-wing, chicken wing," he said. I think Woody meant that most workaday people don't put 10 cents' worth of faith in doctrinaire promises from political ideologues. Rather, they're looking for honest answers to the old labor song: "Which side are you on" -- the bosses, bankers, and billionaires or the rest of us?

Second, on the matter of seriousness, I find that both the Democratic Party and the larger progressive movement have gotten way too serious. They've become lost in their latest 21-point plan, email "outreach" strategies, hourly fundraising targets, Zoom meet-ups, and other digitized corporate metrics for how to manipulate politics.

But wait -- what is "politics"? My dictionary says it's "The science and art of forming a community effort to seek and exercise power in public affairs." Why would we try to make such a spirited, unifying, social pursuit into a rote, tedious, manipulative "game"? Instead, what if Democrats actually brought people together, not to recite pre-cut positions, but around community interests? And let's create events that people (especially newcomers) might want to go to -- mix the politics and issues with a little food, beer, and wine, live music, and ... well, fun.

When I first ran for office, my lifelong co-conspirator, Susan DeMarco, came up with the perfect expression for such politicking. She said, "Let's put the party back in politics!"

THE SAD BALLAD OF THE BIG FOOL

Years ago, when America was mired in the horror of the Vietnam War, Pete Seeger wrote a lament about the stupidity and vanity of leaders who keep plunging us into such mindless disasters. It was a song about the Big Muddy:

"The captain told us to ford a river,

That's how it all begun.

We were knee deep in the Big Muddy

But the big fool said to push on.

"It'll be a little soggy, but just keep slogging

We'll soon be on dry ground.

We were waist deep in the Big Muddy,

And the big fool said to push on.

"All we need is a little determination.

Men, follow me, I'll lead.

We were neck deep in the Big Muddy

And the big fool said to push on."

Unfortunately, the big fool is back, this time miring our nation in another of those witless wars of choice that he had ridiculed when running for President. But, doing the bidding of Israel's corrupt government, Trump attacked Iran. He blustered that the "skirmish" would be over in days, Iran would surrender everything, our gasoline prices would go down, peace would blossom throughout the Middle East, and world leaders would rally 'round America.

None of that happened. Instead, Trump has splurged 25 billion of our dollars on this foray (so far), Iran's leadership has outwitted Trump's feckless Pentagon chief, and they now control the global price of oil.

To divert attention from the embarrassment of his needless war, our huckster-in-chief is now doing PR events touting the "grandeur" of that billion-dollar luxury ballroom he wants to tack onto our White House -- a rich-boy add-on that only the billionaire class will go into.

This is Jim Hightower saying ... of all the things America actually needs, he is focused on a sparkly ballroom. And the big fool says to push on.

To find out more about Jim Hightower and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.

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