This is in response to Martin Andrade’s Dec. 3 column, “Reflection offers parties a chance to regroup and prepare.”

It is true the Democratic Party has taken the role of minority party at the national level for the next two years. But we are not solely protectors of reproductive freedom. We are also the protectors of workers’ rights, education and the environment; we are the party that pushes for progressive change in tax policy, campaign finance reform, an environmentally friendly energy policy and many other issues important to a majority of the American people.

The issues Democrats care about won Nov. 5, but the Democratic candidates did not. Evidence is the many school levies and environmental referendums that passed in the same districts that we lost to Republican candidates.

Andrade believes a majority of the population has stepped right. I continue to see the most closely divided country in history. He finds a Democratic Party beginning a long decline; I see a Democratic Party regaining its voice.

It is not the extreme left-wing that dominated this campaign for Democrats, it was the pro-business, pro-tax cut Democratic Leadership Council that set the Democratic agenda. The leadership council is responsible for the Democratic Party not effectively gaining ground on the corporate fraud issue, an issue many thought would be important for Democrats to win. Only a return to a left-wing Democratic Party will return Democrats to power.

The selection of Nancy Pelosi as U.S. House minority leader signals that Democrats will look inside and find what it means to be a Democrat again. We progressives must ensure that the Democratic Party never slips back to the right again, or we will see the same results we saw this fall.

Andy Pomroy

junior

political science