At times like these, when an issue has pushed American political life to a white heat, some sage often steps forth to restate a truism: All politics is local. Not anymore. Not when Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democrat from Massachusetts, demands that in response to a “national health emergency,” President Biden set up abortion clinics on federal lands (an idea that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez unfortunately called “the babiest of baby steps”).
For the progressives running the Democratic Party, all politics is national. Whether abortion on demand, gun bans, eliminating fossil fuels, whatever, the view of the Democrats is that the locals (rhymes with yokels) are just along for the ride. Get over it. And if progressives don’t get what they want, they head to the streets.