When Conservative pundits set out to discredit a bold - scratch that, it doesn't have to be all that bold - Progressive agenda, one of the first criticisms they make is that it will be a job killer.
They call the Affordable Care Act a job killer.
They call a higher minimum wage a job killer.
They call government regulations a job killer.
They call immigration reform a job killer.
They call raising taxes on the wealthy a job killer.
They call the Employment Nondiscrimination Act a job killer.
They call combating climate change a job killer
Amazingly enough, they call a plastic bag ban a job killer.
Over time, once the job killing effect fails to materialize, Conservative critics just move on to the next attack with nary a misstep.
Of course, this just shows that their attacks are not at all about protecting or creating jobs, but about cynically building a political narrative.
But there's a reason they always begin their attacks with the job killer line: it's because they know that this is all it takes to get a sickeningly large population of Americans to oppose whatever it is they are railing against, and that the media will go along with it hook, line, and sinker. It's a wonder to me how more media outlets don't treat these job killing claims as they ought to be treated. But, I digress.
This isn't to say that these important policies should be abandoned. After all, they are just going to make this claim about anything Progressives propose, so long as they aren't going to be challenged on it. Hopefully, by now Progressives aren't afraid of pursuing their agendas because of this attack.
However, as far as crafting a central agenda on which Democrats across the country can campaign, the best option should be one that completely neutralizes this first line of attack by Republicans.
Well, how do you do that? With a plan that explicitly creates jobs.
Not just that, but one that completely repudiates the Centrist thinking that threatens to drive loyal supporters from the party during a critical election year.
The central agenda should be explicitly about job creation, but should also reflect the Populist values that should really define the Democratic Party, that resonates with our base, and sets it apart from the Republican Party in vision and ideology.
What I am proposing is this: Ten Million Jobs.
Politics-wise, a plan that creates ten million jobs is certainly ambitious.
In reality, it is not that crazy a number. After all, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the current number of unemployed is roughly 10.4 million.
That number doesn't include about 1-2 million discouraged workers who have stopped looking for work.
But imagine if there were millions of new jobs out there.
We know that most of the jobs that have replaced lost jobs since the recession have been lower quality. Imagine how workers stuck in these dead end jobs would feel if they knew that there were finally other options out there for them.
On the other hand, because we currently have such a high unemployment rate, adding so many more jobs is not likely to hurt the private sector.
Things aren’t always this way, but when they are, the government is not in competition with the private sector. Government purchases don’t use resources that would otherwise be producing private goods, they put unemployed resources to work. Government borrowing doesn’t crowd out private borrowing, it puts idle funds to work. As a result, now is a time when the government should be spending more, not less. If we ignore this insight and cut government spending instead, the economy will shrink and unemployment will rise. In fact, even private spending will shrink, because of falling incomes.
Creating ten million jobs is also not that far-fetched a proposal. Last year, the
Congressional Progressive Caucus unveiled a plan that proposed creating
7 million jobs in the first year alone.
We’re in a jobs crisis that isn’t going away. Millions of hard-working American families are falling behind, and the richest 1 percent is taking home a bigger chunk of our nation’s gains every year. Americans face a choice: we can either cut Medicare benefits to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires, or we can close these tax loopholes to invest in jobs. We choose investment. The Back to Work Budget invests in America’s future because the best way to reduce our long-term deficit is to put America back to work. In the first year alone, we create nearly 7 million American jobs and increase GDP by 5.7%. We reduce unemployment to near 5% in three years with a jobs plan that includes repairing our nation’s roads and bridges, and putting the teachers, cops and firefighters who have borne the brunt of our economic downturn back to work. We reduce the deficit by $4.4 trillion by closing tax loopholes and asking the wealthy to pay a fair share. We repeal the arbitrary sequester and the Budget Control Act that are damaging the economy, and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, which provide high quality, low-cost medical coverage to millions of Americans when they need it most. This is what the country voted for in November. It’s time we side with America’s middle class and invest in their future.
On the other hand, ten million is a nice, round number. And most importantly, it is a number that will grab headlines and mouse clicks.
Let's not forget that in an off-year election like we have in 2014, the largest problem facing the Democratic Party is getting their base to turn out. Having a strong, central message, is critical. Obamacare and immigration reform will certainly drive some of the turnout, but the number one issue for voters always comes down to the economy. Having a strong economic plan on which to firmly plant the Democratic flag will go a long way toward communicating with voters in an instant what our answer is, and how it differs from the GOP.
Having an ambitious, concrete job creating plan will be the rallying cry of economic populism. It is our answer to the obstructionist Republican Party, to the Corporatist Democrats, and most importantly, to the struggling Americans looking for bold, inspiring leaders.
Let's see them try to label a plan to create ten million jobs a job killer.