Bob Schwartz

American political parties have produced some great leaders and leadership. Also some less than great, terrible or even criminal leaders and leadership.

This is the most extreme political moment in American history. It may be an extreme that some Americans support and cheer, but for others of us, it is a lawful, constitutional and democratic disaster.

At the moment, of our two political parties, only the Democratic Party is not enabling that disaster. Yet up to the moment, the party has not stood up and stepped up, and is not offering much more than “help us retake Congress in 2026. Send money.”

Democrats retaking one or both houses of Congress in 2026 would provide some slowing of this downward slide. But it won’t stop it, because even if the Supreme Court reins in some of the executive actions, some of those actions will get through and stay in effect. Besides that, even if in 2026 and 2028 Democrats retake Congress and the White House, the mass of suffering will have happened, the mass of damage will have been done and will require—this may sound hyperbole but isn’t—rebuilding the republic.

All of which says that there must be action now to try to slow the devolution and degeneration. “Try” because even under the best circumstances, with Congress and the Supreme Court mostly on his side, overwhelming power resides in a twisted presidency.

So try we must. But try what? That’s where the Democratic Party has so far fallen short. Yes, electing not-Republicans is a necessary condition. Necessary but not sufficient. Electing Democrats in 2026 is not enough.

Americans need leadership that plans and organizes action that is not about the next election and not rhetorical. We will continue to wait for the Democrats to tell us what we should be doing—now, not next and not two years from now. So far, we haven’t seen or heard that.

If the Democrats won’t take that role, who will?