BEYOND COMPROMISE

The Time for Compromise is Over: Why Democrats Must Fight, Not Fold

For decades, Americans have been told that "compromise" is the lifeblood of democracy. Indeed, in a functioning democracy, compromise is necessary to balance competing interests and avoid tyranny. But what happens when one side has abandoned all pretense of governing in good faith? What happens when one party is actively working to dismantle the very system that allows for compromise in the first place?

The answer is clear: compromise becomes not only impossible but dangerous.

We are living in an unprecedented era, one in which American democracy is on the brink. Donald Trump and his followers are not merely a political faction with a different philosophy. They are a radical movement determined to destroy the checks and balances that have kept this country together for nearly 250 years. From their promises to "dismantle the deep state" and purge civil servants to their plan to weaponize the Department of Justice against political enemies, this is not normal. This is not politics as usual.

Yet, astonishingly, many Democratic leaders continue to act like we live in ordinary times. This is more evident than in the Senate under Chuck Schumer’s leadership. Schumer, while experienced and politically savvy, continues to look for ways to "work across the aisle" and compromise with Republicans, many of whom have proven time and again that their loyalty is to Trump, not to the Constitution.

The fact is, we are far beyond the time for compromise. The Republican Party showed us this truth long ago. In 2016, they refused to hold hearings for Merrick Garland, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, a raw exercise of partisan power. In subsequent years, they steamrolled Supreme Court nominations, passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy without a single Democratic vote, and engaged in relentless obstruction during the Biden administration.

Republicans understood that power is not shared with those you seek to destroy. Democrats, on the other hand, still act as if the Marquess of Queensberry Rules is playing the game. It’s not. It's a street fight, and only one side is fighting.

If the roles were reversed, Republicans would not hesitate. They would do whatever it takes to win, including bending or breaking every convention and precedent in their way. They’ve already done it. From the filibuster of judges to the refusal to certify elections to open threats of political violence, Republicans have thrown out the old rulebook.

Democrats must wake up. Now is the time for courage, not compromise. For action, not appeasement.

Chuck Schumer and other Democratic leaders need to be replaced with fighters—leaders who understand the stakes and are willing to match Republican ruthlessness with equal resolve. Leaders who will fight to codify voting rights, protect the judiciary from far-right capture, and stand unapologetically against authoritarianism. Leaders who will call out Trump and his movement for what they are: a fascist threat to the American republic.

We don’t need more hand-wringing about "working together." We need bold action:

• Eliminate the filibuster to pass critical legislation protecting democracy.
• Expand the Supreme Court to balance a judicial system hijacked by extremists.
• Investigate and prosecute all those involved in the January 6th coup attempt.
• Fight disinformation head-on, using every tool available to inform the American public.

Most of all, we need Democrats who will not apologize for fighting back because if we don’t fight, we lose everything: our freedoms, our democracy, our future.

What Does It Mean to Fight, and How Do We Muster the Power?

But let’s be honest: many Americans are asking how to fight back when Trump and his enablers seem to hold all the cards. What does "fighting" look like when the courts, Congress, and much of the media have been stacked or cowed by MAGA extremism? The answer is the people, organized, relentless, and united. Trump’s "trump card" has always been fear: fear of his base, fear of violence, fear of losing power. But our trump card is numbers, truth, and courage. There are more of us than there are of them, millions more. But we must act like it. That means mass mobilization, from the streets to the ballot box.

It means boycotting companies that fund the MAGA agenda pressuring every public official to stand for democracy and refusing to accept a narrative of inevitable defeat. It means voting in overwhelming numbers and preparing to challenge every effort to suppress that vote. It means pushing our elected officials relentlessly to stop compromising and start using every legal and constitutional lever of power, whether reforming the courts, expanding protections for voting, or even invoking emergency powers to stop a coup. Fighting doesn’t mean violence; it means courageous, focused, collective action and refusing to back down when the nation's soul is at stake.

The Path Forward: Fight to Win

This moment in history calls for a fundamental shift in mindset. No more "reaching across the aisle" to shake hands with those who would destroy democracy. No more delusions about the good faith of those who have already shown they have none. It is time to adopt the only strategy that will work now: fight as though everything depends on it, because it does.

Trump and his allies are radical. Stopping them will require radical resolve. Let us be clear: this is a battle for America’s survival as a free, democratic republic. If we lose, there is no coming back. But if we stand, fight bright, fight together, and fight to win, we still have a chance to save it.

So let this be the call: the era of compromise is over. The era of fighting for democracy has begun.

William James Spriggs