Consider the issues that most Democrats think really matter: Climate change, which a United Nations report just warned will have “severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts” across the globe. The expansion of Medicaid, so millions of poor families have health coverage. Our immoral and incoherent immigration system. Our epidemic of gun violence,

US representatives and senators can’t do a lot about climate change, frankly, since the largest growth in greenhouse gas emissions comes from places like China and India, and the European appetite for Amazonian soy beans ensures that more of the rain forest is destroyed each day. Those are issues for the Executive branch.

Outsourcing has a HUGE impact on pollution and climate change also, so Beinart is seriously missing the boat there. The factories overseas are terrible polluters and then all the goods have to be shipped over here on ships. I didn’t know how many shipping containers are apparently floating around in the oceans until they started searching for that disappeared Malaysian jet. Unbelievable the destruction we are wreaking on the planet in the search for cheap stuff and outrageous corporate profits.

Medicaid expansion, yes, I agree with.
Increased gun control, yes, I agree with.

Immigration reform? LOL, sigh, with the Ebola thing now and the unaccompanied minor thing over the summer Beinart thinks democratic candidates would have won votes if they pushed liberalized immigration rules at this time? I think I know why he’s a pundit and not a politician.

Minimum wage increases passed in several states, indicating that it’s a popular issue. Outsourcing is terrible for our nation and our planet, and I think a decent politician could present that to people in a way that could gain support…but nobody seems interested in doing that. Tragically, young women appear to be “bored” by candidates who back abortion rights; however, if Udall had run more than a one-note campaign I still think he would have won.

How the hell the hog castrator won in Iowa, I simply will never understand. Surely Iowans appreciate decent highways and other public infrastructure?

For that matter, why haven’t democrats focused on investing in our nation’s infrastructure? I think most people would support that. Instead they appear to be listening to people like Mr. Beinart too much, which leads to fragmented (at best) messages and very little actual accomplishment. The lack of tangible accomplishments to show the voters loses elections.