Democrats, take note: Voters want solutions, not spectacle

Detailed summary

Accountability for the Trump administration may feel good, but it won’t put more food on the table or gas in the car.

If Democrats were to follow the advice Renée Graham offers in her Nov. 8 column, “Note to Democrats: Do not ignore accountability,” they would squander the opportunity to once again make government meaningful.

Voters have demanded that their elected officials prioritize solutions over spectacle and tangible results over grievance gratification. Accountability may feel good, but it won’t put more food on the table or gas in the car, and it won’t create more access to health care or a decent place to live.

President Trump has been unable to suppress his autocratic tendencies, so he will force the accountability issue on his own, and the Democrats will need to react accordingly. But their primary focus and messaging should be on the issues that brought them to power in the first place. That will be the best way to reject authoritarianism, now and in the future.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Boston Globe. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.