I'm Done Supporting Democrats Who Scapegoat The Vulnerable

My take on what I will and won't do for Democrats in 2026

I’ve reached my line in the sand.

I will no longer actively support Democratic candidates who believe the path to electoral viability and victory runs through throwing marginalized communities under the bus. Not quietly. Not strategically. Not “just this one time” and then I’ll support you. Nope! It ain’t happening. Not on my watch.

Some say I’m late to the party; and I accept that critique. If that means I step to the back of the room and simply observe while the folks who’ve been doing this work operate, I’m cool with that too.

Michelle Obama said in 2012 that the office of the presidency, “doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who are.”

Creator: Alex Wong | Photo Credit: Getty Images | Michelle Obama at 2012 DNC

How a candidate campaigns is an inside scoop into how they’ll govern. If a Democrat will scapegoat immigrant communities during a campaign, they’ll do it once elected. If your campaign strategy requires softening your defense of LGBTQ people, distancing yourself from immigrant (documented or undocumented) communities, or watering down your commitment to Black voters in order to win white suburban approval — I’m out.

I love President Obama, but sources close to him said that he was secretly in favor of LGBT equality but refused to publicly disclose his support out of political caution. This lead his team to create a dishonest public "evolution" rather than an immediate, full-throated endorsement. I don’t care to debate the success or failure of his approach, but what I am saying is, moving forward, I refuse to advocate for a candidate who commits that position.

Because winning by sacrificing the vulnerable isn’t leadership. It’s cowardice dressed up as pragmatism.

To be a leader by definition means to go first. Otherwise you are a follower. Leaders take the opposition’s hits, the arrows, the bullets while the followers toe the line behind the fallen. And to be clear we need both for a successful movement. But what we don’t need is followers masquerading as leaders.

The Myth of “Electability”

Every election cycle, we hear it:

“This district isn’t ready.”
“We have to moderate the language.”
“Let’s not make this about trans rights at this moment now.”
“Immigration is too complicated to defend in this political climate.”
“Tough on crime messaging polls better.”

The argument is always the same. You’ve got to tone it down if you want to win. And toned down Florida Democrats still aren’t winning. MAGA Republicans have a super majority in the Florida State House and State Senate with ultra-conservative governors who are becoming more radicalized with each legislative session.

So explain it to me like I’m 5 years old. What is the point of winning if the price is abandoning the very people our party claims to protect?

There’s a difference between refining messaging and retreating from principle, but too often, certain Democrats confuse the two.

Scapegoating Is a Strategy — And Voters See It (Looking At You, Gavin)

When you hear of a Democratic candidate community scapegoating, it rarely sounds dramatic. That’s the point. Political consultants are paid to make the fall guys look invisible. So it shows up as:

• Silence or requiring more research when anti-LGBTQ legislation advances
• “Both sides” rhetoric when Black communities raise concerns about racism in policing
• Echoing right-wing framing on immigration to appear “tough”
• Distancing from trans youth and pronouns to avoid culture war backlash

It’s subtle. It’s poll-tested. It’s perfectly packaged and certain communities clock it immediately. And the truth is, with time, the broader electorate recognizes it too.

Voters can tell when a candidate’s courage has conditions.

The Leaders Who Don’t Flinch

Contrast that with leaders like Ayanna Pressley and Jasmine Crockett. They do not treat support for marginalized communities as a liability to be managed. They do not triangulate our humanity and they also expose the reality that some politicians engage in side stepping to get ahead. In a March 2025 interview with The 19th, Crockett slammed Republicans for anti-trans legislation but also criticized fellow Democrats for getting “swept up” in the discourse.

“In this election, we allowed ourselves to be divided. We allowed them to distract us, and we allowed them to talk about the trans folk,” Crockett said.

Pressley and Crockett speak plainly about systemic racism in a way that is direct, unapologetic, and informative. They defend LGBTQ rights without hesitation because it is the right thing to do. They challenge harmful narratives rather than echo them and they do so knowing full well that it will invite criticism from the mainstream media, from the MAGA regime, and from moderate Democrats. That’s leadership; not because they are perfect, but because they are consistent.

This Isn’t Purity Politics

Democrats who believe in coalition politics, don’t fracture the coalition when polling tightens. Those same Democrats understand that expanding the electorate — not trimming the base — is how you build durable power. But remember there will always be that Democrat who believes the path forward is to reassure ‘swing voters’ by signaling distance from the most loyal coalitions.

Today, I am choosing which side of that divide I will invest my time, energy, and my economic support. If the decision is between a moderate scapegoating Democrat and a MAGA extremist, of course I will vote for the Democrat. But will I knock on doors for you? NOPE. Will I make phone calls for you? Nope. Will I donate to your campaign? Absolutely not. So Democrats govern, yourselves accordingly.