A New
Democratic Deal

Why You Should Subscribe:
Read (and Contribute) Answers to
"What, Then, Must We Do?"

Many deep-thinking progressive writers and talking heads publish stirring and heartfelt commentaries reminding us of how we’re falling short of achieving and sharing the American dream these days.

This commentary and forum doesn’t pretend to be able to match these writers’ eloquence and vision.

This is a “Here’s the fix for that” site. That’s what the question above, “What, Then, Must We Do?”, from a Leo Tolstoy essay, is about.

I invite commentary and differing views because I’m just smart enough to know I’m not smart enough to have all the answers.

Much of the political commentary these days is outrage at Donald Trump’s behaviors.

Outrage may scratch an emotional itch, but governing is where choices get hard, tradeoffs are unavoidable, fiscal limits bite, and credibility is either built or lost.

The commentaries and studies here are about finding both a framework for solving the nation’s problems and the nuts and bolts of what to do first, what to delay, and what to give up – and how to win the confidence of voters.

A New Democratic Deal is for politically active people who cherish democratic ideals but may need specifics on what to do, for members of Congress and Capitol Hill staff who deal in specifics and know the constraints, for organizers, campaign teams, and state party officials juggling local and national concerns and demands.

It is for those who know the next decade will demand discipline, sequencing, and a willingness to rethink long-held assumptions about federal spending and taxes.

Most of all, it is for those who dare to hope and want to talk about specific actions.

Paid subscribers are invited to comment and help create issue-specific strategies and action plans that are progressive in their goals, realistic in budgeting, honest about constraints, and tough enough to win elections, withstand scrutiny, and deliver results.

And it currently costs just $3.99 a month to read and participate.

So subscribe today to read about and help provide today’s answers to Tolstoy’s question, “What, then, must we do?” - Bill Donovan, writer, editor, and moderator