Confessions of a DINO
Moderate Democrats secretly fight extinction
Jeffrey Denny
It’s not easy being a Democrat in Name Only.
DINO, you may know, is a political slur.
Like RINO — Republican in Name Only — DINO stands for sensible, reasonable political moderate. Someone who cares more about political pragmatism for progress than posturing for perfection.
In other words, RINOs and DINOs are traitors to our whack-job bases, according to our whack-job bases.
I sure am.
I live in Washington, DC, an historically Black city (now 45% Black, 46% White).
I’m in the lovely leafy Ward 3, dubbed “Upper Caucasia,” as it’s far whiter than our city (70% White, 7% Black). Also wealthier and more educated than our city. Definitely more than America.
Our white ward is all for diversity, equity and inclusion. But we notoriously NIMBY nitpick the Black mayor’s plan for denser housing in our midst, ultimately preserving our historic whiteness. We also think America needs to be more like Scandinavia, which is even whiter at 80% v. 60%.
Professionally, we have more policy experts per square mile than America. We love to boss around America. Even if we’re nothing like America.
That’s especially true when it comes to our politics.
More than 90% up here vote Democratic, like our city. The 5% who vote Republican dare not speak their names.
But as I’ve described, Democrats here are conflicted.
Our fiercest political battles tend to be Democratic fratricide.
It’s the AOC progressives against the DINO moderates.
It’s not a fair fight.
Progressives are loud, proud, aggressive, and brook no opposition, however reasonable, like Trump MAGAs.
The difference is that many young white progressives schooled at our $70,000/year elite private academies and into $100,000/year elite private colleges, funded by their wealthy DINO parents or grandparents. They majored in activism and minored in identity, taking offense, and moral superiority.
Older progressives are still fighting the 1970s against The Man while living in a wealthy urban village off the fruits of The Man.
The generations are united by their hate for cars. If they have to drive, they do so grudgingly by driving Prius and Subarus to signal their hate for Fahrvergnügen.
Since silence = complicity, progressives need to speak their powerful important agency. And demonize the corrupted who dare to question their righteous politics no matter how eyerolling.
DINOs don’t want any trouble, so we keep our opinions to ourselves.
In public.
But quietly, to avoid shaming, DINO speakeasies have popped up all over my Democratic ward.
From private dinner gatherings to Trader Joe’s frozen dinner aisle, wine/book club meetings, and field hockey bleachers, DINOs are secretly voicing their forbidden views. Such as:
· It’s terrible that the Trump Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action in college admissions. But maybe my white kids will have a better chance to get into Harvard instead of their safety school, Princeton.
· It’s horrible that the Trump Supreme Court is destroying our children’s futures by rejecting Biden’s student loan relief. Good thing we’re doing pretty well, maxed out our 529s, and our kids have wealthy grandparents!
· I’m sick of the rising crime here. I feel unsafe. I moved up here to feel safe but still enjoy urban living. Why can’t the police crack down on crime?
· I’m sick of these privileged white kids saying “I feel unsafe” when Black police crack down on crime to keep them safe. While the kids live in one of the safest wards in the city.
· No wonder there’s a serious shortage of cops. Why would anyone want to be a cop? Most cops around here are Black women and men with families. They’re earning a working-class wage doing a deadly hard job. Then they’re attacked by white progressives who claim to support BLM.
· How can progressives here — young and old — hate capitalism? When capitalism is why they have privileged backgrounds, education, and professional opportunities?
· Obviously, I care about the climate. But I don’t need to perform by installing solar panels and driving an EV. Especially since I have kids, which more than cancels climate wokeness. Besides, I need my $100,000, 18 mpg V8 Range Rover to drive my kids to their climate-woke private schools.
· Nobody cares more about social justice than me. I read The New York Times, listen to NPR, and watch PBS, especially “Democracy Now!” to get riled up about injustice. But I refuse to visit Michaels for craft supplies to make signs with my children to march with 20 passionate people in every goddamned protest.
· I like Joe Biden. I think he’s doing a good job. What’s with this young progressive age-shaming?
Jeffrey Denny is a Washington writer.
