By Christian Cullen, Staff Writer

Since President Donald Trump spoke to Congress a couple of weeks ago, the Democratic Party has been in disarray. Some wore pink and others held signs. Yet only one actually used their voice to speak up: Representative Al Green of Texas. Despite weeks of unpopular and dangerous governance from the new Trump administration, all the Democrats could muster was a single individual taking a stand, for which he was censured. 

After the election defeat, thinkpiece after thinkpiece was published about what happened to the Democrats. Some felt that the Party needed a better social media presence, while others felt that this was just an inevitable result. Here’s what the real issue is: the Democrats are ultimately just a party of the status quo. 

Despite the descent into fascism feeling like a slide in recent weeks, this is actually a moment the Democrats can pounce on. Republican representatives are getting grilled left and right at their town halls. People are unhappy with how the United States is being governed and we are barely into the new administration’s time in Washington. 

This is a moment where the Democrats could really make some gains, but the Party leadership keeps falling on its face. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer acquiesced on a budget proposal vote that will likely lead to essential agencies being gutted. There has been no change in the messaging in a way that would matter.

 Democratic representatives have also been dealing with angry constituents. Despite a chance to really make a change and gain some of their voters back, the Democrats seem content to sit in the middle while nothing changes. Instead of making things as difficult for the Trump administration as they can, they seem content to grease the political wheels, likely in the hope that Trump’s actions will backfire on him come the midterm elections. 

The Party leadership is entirely out of touch, despite the clear signals that the Party is in desperate need of a youth movement. While mainline Democrats are hearing but not listening to angry constituents at town halls, the progressives of the Party are rallying support. Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been on a tour of the US and are commonly drawing 10,000+ attendees at their events. 

What also went somewhat under the radar this election cycle was the popularity of progressive legislation. Maternity leave and a minimum wage increase won in states where Kamala got trounced. Missouri and Alaska are not exactly liberal bellwethers. This is the time where the Democratic Party needs to adapt. 

There is real anger at the Democrat’s inability to do seemingly anything. Government agencies that provide real and essential services are on the chopping block, the Trump administration has jailed individuals that hold certain opinions on Gaza, and prices continue to rise. Instead of listening to their voters and adjusting themselves, Democratic leadership refuses to change. 

The Democrats don’t need their own version of Joe Rogan. They need to show that they can actually help people. When they have been in power, Democrats have been seen as ineffective; when they are out of power, they remain in the same place, just waiting for a chance to disappoint their voters again. 

It does not have to be this way. The progressives have made some real gains, and more importantly, they can show how they would provide real change, rather than continued stagnation. To survive, the Party must embrace its progressive flank to provide an effective alternative to the Republicans.

As they stand right now, the Democratic Party is entirely unable to meet the political moment. As America inches closer and closer towards authoritarian governance, I for one do not trust the Democrats to make the right decisions.