Focused on impeachment, Democrats may ignore the crucial lessons they need to learn from the smashing victory by Britains Trump clone, Boris Johnson, in elections last week.
The opposition Labour Party got its worst drubbing since 1935, and many longtime Labour strongholds in rust belt areas that were known as the Red Line turned Conservative blue. But because this election revolved around Brexit whether and when Britain would finally exit the European Union as a slim majority demanded in a 2016 referendum some analysts doubt the relevance the British vote can have here.
Having been in England for the 2016 vote on the referendum and pursued the Brexit tale in two visits this year, I believe the similarities are striking. Here are five lessons that the Democratic Party could learn from Labours defeat.
1. Personality may matter more than issues
The candidates personality and voter appeal will be critical, maybe more so than the issues. That was the case not only with the dour and uber-left Jeremy Corbyn but with Johnson as well.
In an Opinium research poll on election day, 43% of voters who said they were not backing Labour cited party leadership as the prime reason. Corbyn repelled voters. He was seen as shifty because he refused to take a clear position on Brexit. His tolerance of antisemitism within the party, and friendship with groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah offended many voters, not just the small number of British Jews.
Johnsons personality and energy, on the other hand, helped him surmount his personal peccadilloes (which rival those of Trump). A serial philanderer who fathered an out-of-wedlock child and brought his mistress with him to Downing Street, Boris is as famous for his lies (including about Brexit) as the man in the White House. Yet, with his calculated bumbling and his jokes (including a hilarious campaign video that went viral in which he wordlessly assures a female voter hell get Brexit done), he won over voters.
The message: A left-center Labour candidate would have stood a far stronger chance of beating the Trump-like Johnson. But that candidate would have needed a strong personality and media savvy to match Boris in wooing swing voters. Democrats take note.
2. Far-left economic policies arent a winner
Apart from his personality, Corbyns far left policies failed to attract the Labour votes he needed. His platform included re-nationalizing the UKs railways, water and electricity, a four day work-week, and forcing large private companies to give 10% of their shares to workers. This didnt prevent Labours working class heartland from decamping to the Conservatives (and may have scared off many middle class voters).
The message (which is relevant to Democrats although Corbyn is far to the left of Bernie Sanders): Extreme left economic policies arent the key to winning over the working-class voters Democrats need to defeat Trump.
3. Face immigration issues but without scare tactics
The Brexit issue touched on many of the pains of globalization, including fear of immigration. At pro-Brexit meetings and rallies in England, I repeatedly heard complaints that politicians dont listen to voters as well as anger that European Union rules permitted European workers from the continent to be hired on contracts in Britain at below British wages. The immigration issue was a loser for Labour.
The message: The Labour Party never figured out how to address serious voter concerns about immigration without imitating Conservative scare tactics and outright lies on the subject. Nor have Democrats need to resolve a similar conundrum.
4. Clarify who will preserve the social safety net
