George Santos and the failure of Democratic leadership

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George Santos and the failure of Democratic leadership

Your editorial “George Santos should resign. Now” is correct as far as it goes, but even if that were to happen, it would not be enough. It is incumbent on all of us to examine how we could have elected such a flawed candidate in the first place.

While there is plenty of blame to go around, this is a question that Democratic leadership in particular must address. So far, all we’ve heard is that it was a “tough election year” and that they tried to discuss the lies, but nobody seemed to care. What they need to explain is exactly why it is that nobody seemed to care.

It is clear to me as a Democrat that the New York Democratic establishment has lost touch with the voters. Instead of focusing on a message that embraces the values held by their members, the party focuses on internal politics, top down messaging, and saying virtually nothing about the issues important to voters in fear that it might upset a portion of the electorate.

The irony is that a majority of the electorate supports Democrats on those issues, not only in New York but across much of the country. As proof, we need look no further than the mid-term results, where Democrats succeeded in many difficult elections by running effective campaigns which focused on the issues and gave their voters a reason to vote for them. In Long Island we heard only about Jan. 6 and Trump, and virtually nothing about what the Democratic candidate had to offer.

Democrats need a primary process that focuses on voters and values, not on pushing through the coronation of a chosen candidate. We need campaigns that embrace those values rather than running away from them. It is clear to me that the current leadership is incapable of doing this.

It is time for the rank-and-file, who are the backbone of any campaign, to demand accountability and push for new leadership. They all deserve better, and the voters deserve better.

Mark Marcellus

Port Washington

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