Emmett Eldred

Class of 2017

Articles

  • Post-Mortem: Simple policies make voters feel understood

    It’s been quite a pleasure writing this column for The Tartan. Over the past several months, I’ve spoken to Democratic party leaders, activists, candidates, students, and voters about their reactions to the 2016 election. Specifically, I’ve tried to ask, how did President Donald Trump happen, and how must the Democratic party change to make sure President Donald Trump never happens again? There ar...

    Forum | May 1, 2017
  • Anti-choice Democrats open gateway for rural voters

    I’d like to begin this column by stating that I am unequivocally pro-choice. This is an extremely important aspect of the Democratic Party’s platform. Beyond securing in the abstract a woman’s right to control her own body, the right to choose is an essential component of personal liberty and economic justice. Societies are more free, more safe, and more prosperous when women have full reproductiv...

    Forum | April 24, 2017
  • Democrats Need To Reclaim Their Heart and Soul

    It’s a well-worn political cliche to say that rival factions within a political movement (e.g. the Tea Party vs. moderate Republicans) are “fighting for the soul” of their party. And the same cliche has been used time and again in the aftermath of 2016 to describe the tension within the Democratic party between its progressive movement and its more moderate “establishment.” Like most cliches, this...

    Forum | April 17, 2017
  • Special Elections, Same Old Mistakes for Democrats

    While the 2016 elections might be (mercifully) over, there are still a few lingering special federal elections to take care of before we can finally wash our hands of the painful, messy practice of democracy. Five congressional seats are up for grabs in special elections over the next few months. Four of the five seats were vacated by Republicans appointed to positions in the Trump administration....

    Forum | April 10, 2017
  • Western PA voters seek focus on jobs, personal connections in candidates

    One of the biggest stories of the 2016 Presidential Election was the “white working class voter”. Though part of the Democratic Party’s historic coalition, this block of voters has migrated away from Democrats towards Republicans over the past several decades, and they turned hard for Donald Trump in 2016. In the three most surprising states that Trump won — Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania —...

    Forum | March 27, 2017