Democrats, Dream Big but Tell the Whole Truth

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/opinion/democrats-2020.html

Version 0 of 1.

I am not one of the nervous Nellies who believe that Democratic candidates shouldn’t dream big and pitch big, transformational ideas. I’m not one of those who believe that Democrats should negotiate with themselves, in advance of submitting a proposal, so that they present only incremental half measures in the name of practicality and perceived ability to implement.

“Dream smaller” is a dream killer. And, I believe, an election loser. “I have milquetoast policies that I can massage their way through a contemptuous Congress” is not a motivational message.

Moderate Democrats want to inch toward success; I’m open to the moonshots of the more progressive Democrats.

Conservatives are never going to pat you on the back for your moderation. They will frame every proposal you put forward as a push toward the apocalypse, as an end of the American ideal, as an obvious creep toward socialism.

Start with your grandest ideas, and any eventual compromise is likely to end up in the middle; start with middling ideas, and your compromise will end up as right-lite.

That is not acceptable to me.

So I say to the Democratic field: Give me your biggest, boldest ideas. Almost none of them are policies you could institute by executive action. Almost all require acts of Congress, and Congress would likely produce something vastly different than what you propose, if they pass a bill at all.

Instead, these proposals are statements of principle, and framing of goals, sketching a vision. Vision is key. If your only vision is what you think can squeak through, you’re blind to the desires of the liberal heart, to the American heart, to the desire for the country to aspire to and achieve greatness.

All that said, I still believe that the candidates with the biggest plans need to level with voters about how costly, painful and disruptive transformational changes are likely to be, at least in the short term.

Take for instance the transformation of our health insurance system: Whether we are talking about Medicare for All or an expansion of Obamacare with a public option, there is a sticker price.

More than that, some proposals would eliminate employer-sponsored insurance altogether. In theory, this is a prudent move that would translate into the most coverage for the most Americans. But it would be majorly disruptive, so Americans should expect a decade or more of issues before all the kinks are worked out.

The Affordable Care Act was passed nearly a decade ago, and there are still major issues that need to be resolved.

Also, America’s health care industry represents trillions of dollars in the economy and, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, “health care is the fastest-growing sector of the U.S. economy, employing over 18 million workers.” What happens to all those workers when we, rightly, reduce our health care spending and restructure the American health care system?

There are hundreds of thousands of people working as life and health insurers. What happens to those people if we eliminate private health insurance?

The sad truth is that inefficiency and inequality can sometimes be employment engines, requiring an ever-growing universe of workers to adjust to a system that doesn’t work as well as it should. Fixing the system can not only eliminate waste in terms of cost, but also in terms of labor. It can be a jobs killer. Progressives should confront this paradox head-on and tell voters how they plan to address it.

Also, the federal government is a clunky bureaucracy and isn’t always efficient and effective in accomplishing small tasks, let alone large, transformational changes in the American economy and the American culture. It is quite likely that there could be chaos, confusion and disappointments in the short term. Voters should be warned about that by candidates and be prepared for it.

Now, the fact that something is hard doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done. But voters should not be sold a fairy tale that sweeping proposals would instantly change everyone’s lives for the better without a hitch.

Tell the truth. Tell the whole truth. I genuinely believe that most voters are adult enough to handle the truth. In fact, I believe that not being fully on the level hurts progressives. Voters feel in their gut that all these big plans sound too good to be true. “What’s the catch?” is the question that hangs in the head.

Reveal the catch. Reveal the catches. Let voters know that they aren’t cowards for being nervous or leery. Let them know that this will be a voyage into the uncharted for America. But reassure them that we will hone and refine what we undertake until all the issues are worked out.

In other words, treat voters with respect by telling them the whole truth, warts and all, instead of simply dangling jewels in their faces.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook and Twitter (@NYTopinion), and Instagram.