The Democrats - Crucial to Midterm Election Results

Democrats, Don't Muck This One Up

On October 10th, 2018 Michelle Cottle posted an article called "Democrats, Don't Muck This One Up" for the New York Times. Cottle is a member of the NY Times editorial board, so she has fairly outstanding credentials. Despite having a headline that seems derogatory for Democrats, this article is very heavily intended for the leftist readers. Her main purpose is to motivate the Democratic voters to have a great turnout for the ever-important Midterm Election; and to use the appointment of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court to help fuel the fire.

There is no debate over the importance of the upcoming election. Cottle efficiently summed up the state of our political climate with the declaration "The only way to get the attention of a Republican Party that has proved itself interested in nothing more than power is to take away that power. Until that happens, the rest is just noise." Thus, if Democrats have a high voter turnout, they will be able to shift the influence of the government.

Another crucial piece of advice Cottle offers is "Democrats must resist the urge to follow Republicans down this spider hole, or that of any radioactive topic designed to inflame partisan passions." The most important aspect of a voter is to be educated. That involves being able to recognize the credibility or motivation behind political statements. At this point in time BOTH parties are making dramatic accusations about the other in an attempt to persuade American voters. It is our responsibility as citizens to not fall for these schemes.

Finally, Cottle observes that thanks to the antics of President Trump, Democrats are already strongly motivated to show up. Thus, the party's main objective should be to "persuade people in not-so-blue areas of the country to give it a second chance." Personally, I strongly agree with this strategic approach. As a young citizen, I am surrounded by peers who despise the Republican Party and are fired up to vote. However, I am worried about the smaller towns (in Texas specifically) because I am not as acclimated to their societal norms.

Overall, Cottle published a very accurate article over the importance of the turnout of the Democratic Party. My only criticism is it's very liberal nature. As a non-partisan voter, strongly influenced articles cause me to read with some skepticism. Otherwise, she did a very good job at motivating the Democratic voters to engage in the upcoming voting cycle.