E Pluribus Unum
A Fighter Command for the Democratic Party
"E Pluribus Unum"
As Will Rogers once said, "I'm not a member of any organized political party; I'm a Democrat." This highlights a challenge the Democratic Party faces.
To draw a World War II analogy, while the German Luftwaffe meticulously planned their attacks on the Allies, the early RAF response, though spirited, lacked focused coordination. It took time to develop an effective system of fighter deployment and radar integration to optimize scarce resources.
Similarly, the Republican Party had four years to strategize for a second Trump term. Organizations like the Heritage Foundation played a significant role, and Trump himself had ample time to plan his retribution. In contrast, the response from Democrats and principled Republicans to this looming threat has been energetic but somewhat scattered. The Substack universe showcases a wealth of creative ideas, but lacks the focused coordination of initiatives like Plan 2025. While Democratic champions such as Murphy, AOC, and Buttigieg are emerging, their efforts don't seem fully aligned. It's unclear to the public whether Congressional Democrats are effectively coordinating their response to the barrage of challenges.
My experience with an Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) initiative, "Safeguarding Science," aimed to develop government-wide solutions for protecting our scientific intellectual capital. By bringing together key players in the government's science sector, we made tangible progress by focusing coordination prioritizing challenges and sharing resources. Unfortunately, much of this progress has been eroded by the current administration.
This raises a crucial question: Where is the Democratic equivalent of "Fighter Command"? Like the RAF Fighter Command or the USAF Strategic Air Command, this coordinating body would be responsible for both immediate tactical responses to current attacks and long-term strategic planning. Is there an existing institution that could serve this purpose, akin to the Heritage Foundation? Are there potential financial backers to support such an endeavor?
Such an effort could encompass several key areas and might best be a balance of calling out Trump/GOP incompetence while simultaneously offering tangible examples of what Dems would do better and competently.:
Establish a shadow government: Assemble a team of leading Democrats to address critical issues such as transportation, healthcare, disaster recovery, and national security. With agencies like DHS, HHS, and the FBI faltering, Democrats can offer compelling alternatives. When figures like Patel and Noem demonstrate incompetence before Congress, Democrats should provide clear, accessible explanations of how to govern effectively for the benefit of taxpayers.
Coordinate "no-show" town halls: Ensure Democrats leverage robust analysis to determine optimal locations and messaging.
Capitalize on "blue-dot" victories: Support and publicize successes like the mayoral race in Omaha (John Ewing Jr.) to demonstrate the effectiveness of Democrats in red states. Help these figures articulate a common-sense message to red-state voters.
Disseminate best practices: Share successful strategies and insights from figures like Jess Piper and Tim Walz with aspiring Democrats in red states.
Highlight the pain and costs of Trump/GOP actions. Aggressively highlight the human, financial and community costs of chaos, cuts, tariffs and other idiotic “governance.” Focus on red states. Profile rueful MAGA voters so as to give permission for the MAGA diehards to change their minds.
Prepare for Trumplican-induced disasters: Be ready to respond swiftly and effectively to crises such as hurricane recovery efforts mishandled by a FEMA-deficient government. Even symbolic gestures of meaningful support are preferable to throwing paper towels at hurricane victims.
Plan for reconstruction: Anticipate the challenges of rebuilding a federal government likely to be severely damaged by the Trump administration. Democrats should begin formulating plans for a "USAID for the future," a revitalized Voice of America, and sustainable, non-oligarchic efforts to modernize critical infrastructure like our air traffic control system. Many experts would be willing to contribute to this visioning process, drawing inspiration from initiatives like Al Gore's Reinventing Government.
Foster alliances with principled Republicans: Explore opportunities for collaboration with organizations like Adam Kinzinger's "Country First."
These suggestions are intended to stimulate further discussion and action. While some of these activities may already be underway, they need greater visibility and coordination. Increased public awareness of a coordinated effort would likely boost contributions from grassroots donors. Currently, too many fundraising emails rely on generic appeals to "help me lead the fight." Furthermore, many individuals are willing to volunteer their time and expertise.
This initiative requires a highly coordinated messaging campaign with multiple trusted voices in both red and blue states might have more impact. Repetition breeds recall which breeds reform (and even revolution). From this chorus a leader can more safely emerge catalyst with national credibility – someone who understands that their presidential ambitions could be advanced by leading or participating in this vital effort.
In conclusion, I quote George Saunders's sentiment: "Shame on all of us if we let these ignorant purveyors of cruelty reduce this beautiful thing we've built over these hundreds of years to a hollow, braying, anti-version of itself." (NYT, May 13, 2025)