Trump-obsessed Democrats against self-rule and democracy

OPINION:

On the first night of the Democratic National Convention, speakers mentioned the word “Trump” 147 times. They mentioned “inflation” — the issue consistently identified by voters as their most important issue — three times. They mentioned the “border” eight times. They mentioned “crime” six times.

While this obsession with former President Donald Trump is funny, sad and ridiculous, it is part of a larger and more serious problem for Democrats and for American voters: The Democrats have only one organizing principle — the defeat, and if at all possible, the destruction of Mr. Trump.

Their nominee has no policy positions that are not subject to immediate change. Reparations for Black Americans? Gun confiscation? Cutting funding to police departments? The Green New Deal? Erasing the southern border? More spending? Banning fracking? Government-run health care? Until about 10 minutes ago, Vice President Kamala Harris was in favor of all of those things.

We have been told by her press stooges that she now opposes all of those things. But because she refuses to come out from behind her praetorian guard and tell us herself that she now opposes them — and why she has changed her mind — no one can really judge whether she is sincere. The smart bet is that she’s not.

The Democrats don’t care. They have become so singularly obsessed with Mr. Trump that they would probably tolerate any policy preferences, provided the nominee vowed to hunt down Mr. Trump. Who cares about the economy when you’re busy saving democracy by making sure that voters are allowed to select only your candidate — a candidate who was nominated without getting a single vote in the primary cycle? Who cares about the border when there is someone running for president you personally despise? Who cares about crime when you’ve already identified support of your adversary as a crime against humanity or democracy or whatever?

It’s understandable. Talking about the economy, crime and unfettered illegal immigration legitimizes the idea that the Biden-Harris White House has been asleep at the switch for the last 3½ years. Much better to talk about what a danger to democracy the other guy is. Nor has the Democrats’ problem gotten better in the last few days. Ms. Harris has come out in favor of food rationing by the federal government and increasing taxes on consumers. Probably better if she sticks to the script of “Orange Man Bad.”

That approach is fundamentally contrary to democratic principles and anti-American. Even at this late stage in the republic, elections usually give voters meaningful choices. If one side refuses to tell the voters what they are going to do if elected — other than throw one man in jail if at all possible — the system breaks down and people lose confidence in the idea of self-rule.

The Democratic Party, once the political homeland of the working men and women of this nation, doesn’t seem to care about self-rule that much. That Democrats even have to run a campaign against Mr. Trump is probably — in their eyes — evidence enough that self-rule is morally and practically bankrupt.

• Michael McKenna is proud to be a columnist for The Washington Times.