Democrats, here’s how you’re blowing it with us conservatives who can’t stand Trump | Opinion

We are now more than two months into the second Trump administration. As a conservative who has always been repelled by Donald Trump and his followers, I’m feeling deeply discouraged — but not for the reasons you may think. Yes, I’m disappointed in Trump’s behavior thus far, but he’s largely performing as I expected. The real source of my discouragement at this point is the behavior of the Democrats.

After the Republicans’ resounding victories in the 2024 elections, I had high hopes that the Democratic Party would do some serious soul-searching and start working toward becoming the reasonable, moderate option we so desperately need in our country right now. So far, I see no signs of this. Instead, I see the same behavior from Democrats that I have seen for at least the past decade. Unless they change their playbook, they will never win over significant numbers of people like me.

With that in mind, I’d like to offer some unsolicited advice — or perhaps some pleas — to any Democrats out there who are seriously interested in charting a new course for their party. Heed my advice, and you may actually stand a chance of winning over the millions of homeless conservatives and moderates desperate for another option.

▪ Plea No. 1: Call it fair when it comes to Trump and the Republicans.

Ever since Trump burst onto the political scene in 2015 and started smashing norms right and left, taking him down has been a Democratic obsession. But your dire warnings, indignant shouts and endless accusations have been so overused that they have simply become background noise to people like me. We don’t need your help to recognize what Trump is. But we do need you to demonstrate that you are truly better than him.

Dare to tone it down. Dare to work with Trump to accomplish good things for our country. Dare to compliment him and his Republican colleagues when they do something well. Save your anger and indignation for the occasions when it is unquestionably warranted (the Jan. 6 pardons and the recent debacle with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy come to mind). Prove to us that you’re the reasonable adults in the room.

You rightly criticized Republicans last year when they torpedoed the bipartisan border bill in an unabashedly political move. Show us that you’ll act differently from them now that the tables are turned.

If you can demonstrate some level of objectivity and reasonableness over the next several years, you’ll go a long way toward restoring your credibility with swing voters like me.

▪ Plea No. 2: Stop allowing your colleagues to shout down and ignore people like me.

I have compassion for young people who identify as transgender, but I have doubts about whether transition surgeries truly help them, and I have serious concerns about biological males playing girls’ sports.

I am ashamed of our country’s racist past, but I wonder whether the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts of the past decade have done more harm than good.

I am concerned about the environment, but I question whether our current approach to climate change is wise or effective.

There are those in your party who would dismiss me as a transphobe, racist and climate denier because of these views. Stop letting those people be the voice of your party. Be open to the idea that the left, however well-intentioned, may have gotten some things wrong lately — and have the courage to say it out loud.

▪ Plea No. 3: Spend time with Trump voters.

I live in southwest Missouri, surrounded by legions of avid Trump supporters. The vast majority of them are good, hardworking and compassionate people. They may not be well-traveled or read The Economist, but they are not stupid.

Make a real effort to engage with these people. They are not voting for Trump because they’re angry, vengeful, misogynistic racists. They have very real grievances that have long been ignored. If you make the effort to understand those grievances rather than snobbishly dismissing them, you’ll stand a much better chance of finding a winning message in 2026 and beyond.

For our country to thrive, it is critical that we have at least two strong, reasonable political parties that can hold each other in check and work together to solve our problems. Today we have zero. If the Democrats are truly interested in effectively confronting the dangers posed by Donald Trump and his followers (or if they’re interested in winning national elections again), they would do well to change course.

This story was originally published April 6, 2025 at 5:05 AM.