Milbank: If united, Democrats can be effective against Trump

I watched from the House gallery Thursday afternoon when the Democrats’ socialist sensation, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in suffragist white, rose to announce her vote for speaker.

“Nancy Pelosi,” the 29-year-old firebrand declared.

From the Republican backbenches came boos and derisive groans.

Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, later complained about being singled out. “Over 200 members voted for Nancy Pelosi today, yet the GOP only booed one: me,” she tweeted. “Don’t hate me ‘cause you ain’t me, fellas.”

Actually, the Republicans love Ocasio-Cortez, in the same way Democrats love Mark Meadows and others among the Republicans’ far-right Freedom Caucus. They hate her politics, but they hope the young representative will sow division among Democrats. They were booing her because, this time, she didn’t.

The decision by Ocasio-Cortez and others on the far left about whether to work with or against their party will determine the fate of the new majority and of the resurgent progressive movement. The Democrats’ return to power after wandering in the wilderness for eight years — and 20 of the past 24 — holds both great promise and great peril for them.

If they can stay unified, they will be an effective counterweight to the Trump lunacy, establishing the Democrats as the party to be entrusted with governing. But if they are split by internal divisions, they could become an easy foil for President Trump, lose suburban seats that gave them the House majority, and possibly hand Trump a second term.

The country is on fire. This is the time for Democrats to be the grown-ups voters want.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/milbank-if-united-democrats-can-be-effective-against-trump/