Opinion: For Democrats to win, they must reject ideological purity and act like a real political party

To the editor: The Dec. 31 headline “As 2017 ends, Republicans struggle to counter a Democratic wave” should send shivers down the spine of any experienced Democratic voter. It implies the race is over in 2018 and Democrats will surely return to power in Congress, meaning Democrats can now do what they do best and sit home or start demanding purity pledges.

Rather, it is time to widen the tent and accept constituents in the more moderate and even conservative parts of our state and country.

Democrats might have a chance in many Republican-held congressional districts in California, but for the party to be successful in those places it must be more accepting of moderate voters. Don’t forget that Democrats disagree with Republicans on principle, but with each other they disagree only by degrees.

Something else that might put Democrats on the winning track is for them to pledge support for whichever of their candidates ends up winning the primary. Remember the words of that old Republican Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Larry Margo, Valley Village

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