“Jefferson has beliefs; Burr has none.” When I first heard that line from Lin Manuel-Miranda’s “Hamilton,” I was too young to understand what it meant. Like many young “Hamilton” listeners turned political science majors, I still find myself listening to the album from time to time, especially when I need motivation to grind out some Rousseau or Hobbes on the second floor of Cornell Library. As I reflect on the 2024 presidential election and consider the progress Democrats need to make, I find myself returning to that line.
Trump had beliefs; Kamala had none. Of course, that’s not entirely true. Harris had beliefs, but they could be hard to pinpoint. This isn’t an article to fault Harris, who was dealt a tough deck of cards. Rather, it’s an article that asks why nobody knew what Harris stood for. I think her campaign was afraid. They didn’t want to offend anyone; they were nervous about taking stances that diverged from Biden’s. They lacked the strength to offend Wall Street, and they didn’t want to alienate the far left social wing of the party. They were so worried that Harris’s beliefs might turn off voters, they often opted to avoid stating any beliefs at all. This time around, Democrats need to be brave enough to have beliefs. They need to be Jefferson, not Burr.
A successful candidate needs to be bold in their policies, taking a clear position. Having the conviction to run to the right of their party on some issues and to the left on others is what makes a candidate truly moderate. They do not stand solely on a party line; they believe what they believe. The phrase “reaching across the aisle” has become code for wishy-washy politics; it doesn’t have to be that way. Democrats need strong beliefs.
President Bill Clinton was a successful liberal moderate when, in 1992, he ran against President George H.W. Bush. After the Persian Gulf War, Bush had an approval rating of 89%, the highest of any post-WW2 President. It didn’t last. Within three years of his election, unemployment shot up to 7.8%, the economy went into recession, and Bush’s infamous “No New Taxes” policy ended up being a bust. In came Clinton, a charismatic politician who ran to the left on healthcare, the environment, and women’s and civil rights, but to the right on crime, trade, and the deficit.
Believe it or not, Trump was once a moderate. In fact, he threaded the needle effectively, both in 2016 and 2024. Sure, in 2016, Trump called for the building of a wall and flagrantly denied climate change science, but he ran to the left of his party on just as many issues. He was against the war in Iraq and claimed the government should provide its citizens with healthcare.
Of course, extremes on either side can win. Bernie Sanders, for example, came far closer to the presidency than anyone expected, and consistently experiences one of the highest approval ratings in the Senate. Sanders has progressive beliefs, and he does not shy away from them. But Sanders is certainly not afraid to stray from the Democratic line on many issues. He was against open border policy in 2019, opposed NAFTA and CAFTA, and has historically taken a far more moderate stance on gun control than others within his wing of the party. One of his strongest arguments is criticizing mainstream Democrats, which adds to his authenticity. One has to have beliefs, and they don’t need to toe the party line. They need to be bold and clear. Moderation is not about playing it safe. It is about having a clear, defined position and, at times, breaking with party orthodoxy. We need a Jefferson, not a Burr. Democrats, “let ‘em know what you’re against” and “what you’re for.”
