Why are Democrats so undisciplined and Republicans so regimented? The asymmetry explained
Posted by Sia on November 12, 2025, 1:33 pm ADMIN
My views on this at the end.
Why are Democrats so undisciplined and Republicans so regimented?
The asymmetry explained
Robert Reich - Nov 12
Friends,
Chuck Schumer couldn’t hold his senators together at a time when their unity and toughness were essential. Yet Trump cracks the whip and gets all Republicans to do his bidding.
Does this mean Schumer should go? Yes.
But the problem runs deeper — to a fundamental asymmetry at the heart of American politics: Democrats are undisciplined. Republicans are regimented.
For as long as I remember, Democrats have danced to their own separate music while Republicans march to a single drummer.
That was the story in 1994, when Bill Clinton couldn’t get the Democratic Senate to go along with his health care plan, on which Clinton spent almost all his political capital.
And when Al Gore didn’t demand a statewide recount in Florida in 2000.
And when a majority of Democratic senators voted for Bush’s 2002 resolution to use military force against Iraq.
And when Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema blocked Biden’s agenda.
And now, when Democrats appear weak and spineless in response to Trump’s authoritarian takeover of the government.
I don’t want to over-generalize. Of course Democrats have on occasion shown discipline while Republicans have fought one another bitterly.
But overall — and even before Trump — Democrats have tended to cave or come apart when the going gets tough, and Republicans have tended to hold firm.
There’s a psychological-structural difference between the two parties.
Democrats pride themselves on having a “big tent” holding all sorts of conflicting views. Republicans pride themselves on having strong leaders.
People who run for office as Democrats are, as a rule, more tolerant of dissent than are people who run for office as Republicans. Modern-day Democrats believe in diversity, E Pluribus. Republicans believe in unity, Unum.
Research by the linguist George Lakoff has shown that in our collective subconscious, Democrats reflect the nurturing mother: accepting, embracing, empathic. Republicans represent the strict father: controlling, disciplining, limiting.
The reason why the Democrats’ “brand” has been weak relative to the Republican brand, why Democrats often appear spineless while Republicans appear adamant, and why the Democratic message is often unclear while the Republican message is usually sharper has a lot to do with this asymmetry.
Even over the last few weeks, as Democrats tried to hold the line over expiring health care subsidies that could send millions of Americans’ insurance prices soaring, voters have still favored Republicans on the economy and cost of living. Why? Because the Democratic message has been so garbled.
I don’t mean this as either criticism or justification of Democrats; I offer it as an explanation.
As America has grown ever more unequal and contentious, people who identify as Democrats tend to place a high value on the tenets of democracy: equal political rights, equal opportunity, and rule of law. That’s a good thing.
People who identify as Trump Republicans tend to place a high value on the tenets of authoritarianism: order, control, and patriarchy. (In fact, Trump authoritarianism is the logical endpoint of modern Republicanism.)
A majority of the current Supreme Court, comprised of Republican appointees, is coming down on the side of order, control, and patriarchy — which they justify under the legal fiction of a “unified executive” — rather than equal political rights, equal opportunity, and the rule of law.
None of this lets Chuck Schumer off the hook. He failed to keep Senate Democrats in line at a time when they finally had some bargaining power, and when the public mainly blamed Republicans for the shutdown. And none of what I’ve said exonerates the seven Senate Democrats and one Independent who broke ranks to join with the Republicans.
What’s the lesson here? Not that Democrats should adopt a more authoritarian organization or process. If they did, they wouldn’t be Democrats.
The real lesson is that when we — their constituents — want Democrats in Congress to hang tough, we need to force them to hang tough.
Republican voters can pretty much assume their senators and representatives will be unified and tough because that’s what Republicans do: they march to the same drummer (who these days sits in the Oval Office).
But we Democrats cannot and should not make this assumption. When we want our senators and representatives to be unified and tough, we have to let them know in no uncertain terms that we expect them to be unified and tough. We must demand it.
And if they’re not, we must hold them accountable.
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Sia: I agree with much of what he has said, but also recognize the pragmatism and strategic value of the DEMs letting the GOP continue digging the giant hole they are digging with the hope of ultimately emerging victorious in the midterms.
There was absolutely NO WAY the DEMs were going to win, even with their presumed leverage, because trump and Johnson simply didn't care at all about how Americans were suffering. In fact, that very suffering is part of Project 2025 where they've already cut out SNAP and ACA subsidies in the recently passed BBB (big beautiful bill BS)
It is like trying to use the life of someone the bad guys just don't care about to get your people freed. They'll simply tell you to go ahead and kill him. Continuing to try to use that life as leverage will only make things worse for those you are fighting to free.
So, they used 8 senators who are retiring to get SNAP benefits going afain and to pay federal employees with the hope of slaughtering the GOP next year.
What I agree with is that those currently in DEM leadership MUST be replaced with DEMs willing to FIGHT and DO whatever is necessary to win.
If they were that kind of dynamic leader, they'd do something now. Wen Schumer was the leader, what did he do?
The Biden infrastructure act was the biggest and best since the ACA. The felon claimed it was his idea before 2020 and he takes credit for it now. He made the right hate Biden. The reasons they hate Biden are why they should flee the felon. Inflation, job loss and replacement vy AI, the BBB and tax cuts for the rich are being driven by the felon's policies.
Where is Schumer? Whining with glasses slid down his nose. Where is Jeffries? Busy being BlackYou can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
What is with the repeated comment about Hakeem Jeffries being "busy being black"??
I know you are not a racist, but that comment feels wrong.
He has a very solid history as a Democrat leader and fighter for human rights and equality.
Right now, as the minority leader out of power, he can do little to nothing to stop the GOP hate machine. He's effectively kept his caucus together. ALL DEMs voted against the GOP plan for continuing funding resolution just prior to Johnson sending the house home for 5 weeks. WHAT more do you expect him to do while waiting for the house to reopen?? He cannot do that.
As for the upcoming vote, he'd be a fool to vote NO on the new resolution because that would only cement the DEMs as to blame for the shutdown and the ensuing suffering. 8 retiring DEMs sacrificed their integrity reputations to force blame entirely upon the GOP so why would he waste that?
As it stands, no Dems need to vote for the plan for it to pass the house. If any GOP should defect, he'd have to orchestrate that those who are retiring would vote yesto ensure that it passes and the REPUBLICANS will then OWN the pain already and soon to be inflicted.
Politics SUCK, but strategy and pragmatism MUST be used. Then replace all of the weak links that got them there with those who can and will bring about necessary change.
I don't go along with any status quo who says this or that about a leader or candidate. People may say Jeffries has a solid history as a fighter for human and equal rights. I have not seen it from him, and if his work was that effective, I would have!
For example, nobody has to tell anyone else what Bernie Sanders is, or is about. He makes that clear with conviction. Jeffries needs that kind of conviction visibly nationwide.
An example of a Black person who has that passion, fire, conviction, and courage is Jasmine Crockett from Texas. She eviscerates every crooked republican politician who challenges her. So does AOC, bless her heart. They are so hated by MAGA for it, best they can do is call names and lie. Felon isn't even clever enough to make a name. He just says Crockett is a very low IQ person.
You can look away from a painting, but you can't listen away from a symphony
on November 12, 2025, 1:33 pm
