No Spine, No Vote

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Before you read this article, I want to be clear about where I stand. I’m running as a Democrat for the Missouri House of Representatives, District 97.

My criticism of the Democratic Party does not come from hostility or cynicism. It comes from concern. The political landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade, but too much of the party still operates as if the old rules still apply. That disconnect has real consequences at a moment when democratic norms, civil liberties, and the rule of law are under sustained attack.

While Democrats may perform well in the upcoming midterms, electoral success should not be mistaken for validation. Political power is fleeting. Without honest self-examination and a willingness to adapt, short-term wins can quickly give way to long-term failure.

This critique is offered in that spirit — not to tear the party down, but to push it to meet the moment.

Every election cycle, voters are told to be practical. Be patient. Be realistic. Accept small steps. Understand the system. Trust the process.

But what happens when the system itself is the problem?

Earlier this week, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy spoke on the Senate floor and described a “non-stop corruption machine” inside the White House. He talked about how a company tied to the United Arab Emirates quietly bought a large stake in a Trump-related crypto scheme. And in return, the Trump administration approved a national-security technology transfer to the UAE. In simple terms, money was exchanged for sensitive national security information. The president and his family walked away enormously enriched. The American people got nothing.

Senator Murphy didn’t hedge. He didn’t sanitize his language. He called it what it is: corruption, possible bribery, and an abuse of power.

That is what backbone looks like. Not a tweet. Not a strongly worded letter. Not a watered-down press release. Rather, it was a public accusation and a demand for accountability.

This degree of courage stands in sharp contrast to what we get from much of the Democratic Party leadership.

We are living in an era of cascading crises — corruption scandals, a runaway ICE militia that operates with impunity, and credible evidence of child trafficking connected to our nation’s most powerful people. Yet much of the Democratic Party leadership avoids confrontation and remains stubbornly fixated on preserving an outdated sense of decorum.

The good news is that the Democrats may benefit in the midterm election cycle simply because Republicans have overreached so badly. But the bad news is that because the Democratic leadership has done almost nothing to chart a fundamentally different course for the country and clings to business-as-usual politics, any victories achieved will be fragile and temporary.

Democracy doesn’t collapse all at once. It erodes when those entrusted to defend it decide that fighting is too risky, too uncomfortable, or too impolite. When leaders choose decorum over courage, power rushes in to fill the vacuum.

So let’s be clear about what we expect. We don’t need perfect politicians. We just need politicians with spines. If they won’t fight for the people they claim to represent, they shouldn’t expect those people to fight for them at the ballot box.

In short, No Fight, No Vote.

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