FDR Democrats: Going Back to Our Roots

"We're not running away from the Democratic Party. We're going back to what the party used to be. You think about FDR and LaGuardia. You think about the New Deal. That's what the Democratic Party once was. That's what it could be again." NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

If it looks like the Democratic Party is in disarray again, what with younger, more eager Progressives winning against the establishment Dems, what with splinter groups like the Democratic Socialists threatening to bury the party, what with Chuck Schumer and the Old Guard seemingly oblivious to any of it, I’m here to offer some hope.

It’s not all bad. This is what we need, painful as it is to get through it. We need a redirect, back to our roots, back to the party that gave us FDR, our longest serving president from 1933 to his death in 1945, who, with swift urgency, shifted our central government to unique, unprecedented people-oriented programs and policies that pulled us out of a depression so great we still use capital letters to describe it.

He didn’t do it alone. He often had to be pushed by the people he’d hired who were on the ground and paying attention. The devastation was massive and mind-boggling. From one end of the country to the other poverty grabbed hold and ruination threatened to end any chance of survival. It was a crisis unlike anything the country had ever seen. It affected nearly everyone, and everyone looked to the government to fix it. Because they were the only ones who could.

FDR’s teams quickly came up with clever ways to include those who were struggling, to give them jobs, to let them help to build back the country that did this to them. The New Deal, the WPA, the CCC, projects for writers, musicians, and artists, food handouts, a return to sustainable farming, a healing of bodies and hearts and of the land, and always, throughout, the clear recognition that the country was working together to save itself. Hope opened the door and let resolve take over from fear. It felt like progress because real people were making it happen.

During World War II we did it again. The government asked us to make unaccustomed sacrifices in order to help the war effort, and we did everything we were asked to do, no matter how inconvenient or uncomfortable. Again, it wasn’t anything Americans were used to. They gave up luxuries and settled for making do. No coffee, no tires, no nylon stockings, no thought of taking instead of giving.

We did it before and we can do it again. This time, though, we’ll be working against our government, not for it. It will take the kind of unity we’re not used to. A different mindset. Better leadership. We can’t ignore the power of the forces working against us, but we can remember who we are and where we’ve been before.

If the job seems insurmountable, look to the helpers. Give them a chance. If they’re looking for solutions, pay attention. Don’t expect them to do it alone. The job is too big for that. Be creative. Think beyond the usual. We’ll need to center our talent for solutions to the tasks at hand and concentrate.

We’ll need to end the practice of blaming anyone who isn’t the enemy. If they’ve been fools in the past but they aren’t now, let it go. Even the best of us have been fools. Forget what they’ve said or done and zero in on what they’re capable of doing now. Give them room to think it through. Make suggestions, not accusations. Have their backs. Support those already in office who are showing promise, along with those working to win in November.

Any loss to Republicans will impact our chances to fight back. The Democrats have to sweep the country. We simply cannot lose.

In the days of the Depression people worked with empty bellies and rags on their backs before the social programs fully kicked in. They earned pennies, but those pennies meant the difference between life and loss. They did it because they had no choice but to believe the government was their only hope. They didn’t realize that they were the ones ultimately bringing the hope, ensuring their success. The government couldn’t have done any of it alone. It took a massive outburst of people power.

What we need now are leaders—and they’re out there. We’re hearing them, we’re seeing them, and now we must choose. I won’t always get my choice, but if I can see some signs of people-powered FDR mentality, I’m in. That’s what I’ll be looking for.

It’s not about you or me anymore. This enemy we face is out to get us. We can’t let that happen. We can’t survive much more of this. Our wants and needs might have to take a back seat for the greater good. What will get us through this? How can we overcome this? We may have to trust; we may have to take a chance. The people we choose to lead will not always get it right. Forget the minutiae. Look at the bigger picture. The goal. Eyes on the prize.

We’re out to save a country awash in chaos and devastation, the threat so real we’re far beyond imagining what will happen if we don’t do something now. We know what will happen.

It’s a huge job but we’re up to it. We have no choice. We are the people the country is counting on. Our ancestors paved the way. Now we ride.

In his 1944 State of the Union address President Roosevelt announced a Second Bill of Rights:

This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights—among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.

As our Nation has grown in size and stature, however—as our industrial economy expanded—these political rights proved inadequate to assure us equality in the pursuit of happiness.

We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. “Necessitous men are not free men.” People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.

In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race, or creed.

Among these are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.

America’s own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for our citizens. For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world.

Link to the 1944 SOTU backstory: https://www.fdrlibrary.org/sotu

Complete 1944 State of the Union text: https://www.fdrlibrary.org/address-text

I’m here for the long haul. Everything I share here is without paywalls or exclusions because it’s important enough to me to make sure you see it. If any of this resonates, you can help by sharing this, by poking that little heart button, or you can help to support my work by becoming a paid subscriber ($5/month or $50/year). If you don’t want to commit to that kind of relationship, you can tip any amount at any time at Ko-Fi or at Paypal. Thank you!

If you would prefer to remain on the free list, I only ask that you please share any of my pieces with those who might want to join our community. It all helps.

Welcome to Constant Commoner. I hope you’ll hang out and find common ground. We’re all in this together. Paid support is always appreciated, but all are welcome.

Writers Against Fascism