Humorous “EASY D” jokes notwithstanding, the first few weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency have proven quite difficult for Democrats, progressives, and others opposed to the White House. Cabinet picks like Betsy DeVos and Sen. Jeff Sessions were confirmed despite fierce opposition, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren was actually silenced for speaking out against the latter. Yet as Late Night host Seth Meyers remarked during a sobering edition of “A Closer Look” on Wednesday, Warren and her fellows shouldn’t give up now — nor should they resort to President George W. Bush-era tactics.
“Democrats have to do more than just be against things. They also have to have something to offer to Americans who were so desperate for change, they voted for Donald Trump,” said Meyers. “Some Democrats to seem interested in acknowledging their party lost touch with the working class.”
Like Warren, who — as Late Night noted — said just as much during her keynote speech at the annual Progressive Congress Strategy Summit in Baltimore on Saturday. “In November, America elected Donald Trump,” she told the crowd, adding that Russian influence, FBI Director James Comey and others played a role in this outcome. Yet, she continued, Democrats “cannot let ourselves off so easy” because of this. “The excuses end now,” said Warren. “We hold ourselves accountable.”
Like CNN political analyst Van Jones, who argued “the Clinton days are over” back in January, Warren and other progressives are trying to come to terms with why they lost in November so they can move forward. And as Meyers quipped during “A Closer Look,” this is precisely what needs to happen. Unfortunately, Warren’s halftime-like speech on Saturday alone is not enough to move past Meyers’ original point — that Democrats need something tangible to offer en lieu of simple reactions.
“Elizabeth Warren is like a high school football coach giving a halftime speech,” he joked. “But the Democratic party is like the Atlanta Falcons drifting off during a halftime speech and forgetting there’s more football to play.”
