# Barney Frank criticism of Democratic Party **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 5, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811 "2026-05-05T18:36:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 24
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/461 "2026-05-24T13:00:52Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’m more aware of promises Mamdani can’t fulfill than of lies from the others you mention. …almost anything related to Gaza were lies from Biden and Harris. And those lies had devestating consequences. There are a great many Americans (and many people around the world) who will never ever forgive them for what they have done. And that goes for many in the Democrat establishment. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > But i also want to vote for a guy who will accomplish a lot of what he promises. It’s not as if you’ve got much of a choice in America. If you don’t want MAGA you vote for the Dems. That’s it. You don’t get another choice. And as I said, I don’t care about legacy. At the time trans people needed him the most, the best that Frank could offer up was a lukewarm “don’t rock the boat.” I _get_ that you like him. But this thread is about the things _that he said in the article in the OP_. I think if you like him, that’s fine. But his final words bring nothing to the table here. The focus needs to be on how to protect trans people _now_. I don’t think that can be done incrementally. I think it needs people to be loud and vocal and start doing things right now. It needs a coordinated strategy from the top. Which means holding your leadership to account. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/462 "2026-05-24T13:03:19Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > But his final words bring nothing to the table here. Sadly, that’s true. He shouldn’t have done that interview. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/463 "2026-05-24T21:35:55Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > If the Democrats can’t sell _that_ message, then there is something seriously wrong with them. If the Democrats can’t sell _that_ message, then there is something seriously wrong with ~~them~~ America. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/464 "2026-05-25T20:35:02Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It is simply achieving trans rights, and such rights are broadly supported. Figures are between 71–85% for the statement “Trans people should have the same rights as everyone else.” There is broad support for access to healthcare, schools, and antidiscrimination laws in businesses and jobs. All of them in the 70s. > > The issue isn’t lack of support. I’d be willing to bet the issue isn’t lack of support either, but rather what _‘the same rights as everyone else’_ actually means. I’d also be willing to bet that a lot of the current flashpoints are places where those rights aren’t clearly defined as well. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Just look at this thread. At a time when globally trans people are trying to be removed from society, a not insignificant number of people, including you, including Barney Frank, think the best thing to do is just be quiet about it. Government is about _governing_, not social crusading. That’s my point. Unless that social crusading is going to get you votes, leave that stuff alone and concentrate on issues that are about governance, not trying to redress wrongs and guarantee rights. I’d almost guarantee people are more concerned about food & gas prices and inflation than they are about equity and trans rights. One is a concrete, very apparent issue, and for most people the other is rather abstract and academic. > [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > Are Democrats just not fundamentally capable of doing multiple things? I don’t get this argument. Do you think the Dems should only ever talk about two things? They mostly seem incompetent if you ask me. That’s my biggest frustration- while I detest today’s Republicans and most of their constituents, the Democratic incompetence and willingness to go off and emphasize issues that don’t affect the majority of people frustrates the crap out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2026, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/465 "2026-05-25T23:43:18Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Government is about _governing_, not social crusading. That’s my point. Unless that social crusading is going to get you votes, leave that stuff alone and concentrate on issues that are about governance, not trying to redress wrongs and guarantee rights. > > I’d almost guarantee people are more concerned about food & gas prices and inflation than they are about equity and trans rights. One is a concrete, very apparent issue, and for most people the other is rather abstract and academic. Government has _always_ been about “social crusading”, for good and bad. And we are in this situation in the first place because a large portion of the population cares about things like “equity and trans rights” - in the since of wanting to destroy them - more than they do about their own survival. And anyone who knows history understands that giving up on equity and trans rights just means that they are next on the chopping block. Trying to appease the bigots never works. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/466 "2026-05-26T00:24:10Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Government is about _governing_, not social crusading. That’s my point. Unless that social crusading is going to get you votes, leave that stuff alone and concentrate on issues that are about governance, not trying to redress wrongs and guarantee rights. > > I’d almost guarantee people are more concerned about food & gas prices and inflation than they are about equity and trans rights. One is a concrete, very apparent issue, and for most people the other is rather abstract and academic. I agree. But LGBT+ rights need to be supported. However, that doesnt mean we have to fall into a MAGA trap on the issue. Just keep saying “we fully support the rights of LGBT+ people” or similar. If we fall into MAGAs trap, we get into the “perfect being the enemy of the good” trap, which the Dems have done. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/467 "2026-05-26T00:43:52Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Government is about _governing_, not social crusading. That’s my point. …is this a rule? Is this an _actual rule_? Is it in the constitution? Do senators have to swear to this before they are allowed to represent the people? I had no idea. So tell me then, if this is a rule, then why do the Republicans spend so much time social crusading on issues that matter to them? How come they can do it but the Democrats can’t? Is this a party-specific rule? The Repulicans can do it, but the Democrats can’t? > [@bump](#): > > Unless that social crusading is going to get you votes But…it gets Republicans the votes!!! Meanwhile, the Democrats lost the house, the senate, the executive and the supremes for a lifetime! You keep failing to address that. The Dems _tried_ this particular cheat code, and it was a _loser_ for them. Are you guaranteeing that if they continue to try to use this cheat code, it’s going to turn around and start winning them elections? > [@bump](#): > > leave that stuff alone and concentrate on issues that are about governance, not trying to redress wrongs and guarantee rights. Well, I’m not talking about “redressing wrongs” here. Not in the snippet you quoted. I’m talking about, and let’s not beat around the bush here, trans genocide. That’s what this leads to. If trans people are effectively banned from women’s sports, banned or too scared to be able to use public bathrooms, terrorised from just being out in public, unable to access trans healthcare, and faced with the reality of state-sponsored detransition clinics, this ultimately means trans people can’t be trans people any more. They either have to run. Or hide. Or try to pass. Or detransition. What other options do you think they have? Spell it out to me clearly. What steps should trans people take _without_ government support (because apparently the rules say that preventing genocide isn’t a governmental duty) to prevent their own destruction? > [@bump](#): > > I’d almost guarantee people are more concerned about food & gas prices and inflation than they are about equity and trans rights. So what? Again: are Democrats simply not capable of doing multiple things at once? How many times when asked controversial questions do the Democrats pivot back to “food & gas prices and inflation”? Because that was exactly what they did at the last election. Gaza? > [@Practically all Harris said about Gaza on the campaign trail](#): > > "Listen, I’m not going to deny the strong feelings that people have. I know that anyone who has seen the images who would not have strong feelings about what has happened, much less than people who have had relatives who have died and I know people and have talked with people. > > So I appreciate that. > > But I also do know that for many people that care about this issue, they also care about the price of groceries." Do you realise how terribly inauthentic that sounds? It’s as if they are trying to avoid the subject. Which would be correct. Because they _are_. Should they continue to just run and hide from controversial topics, or do you think there are other options out there? > [@bump](#): > > One is a concrete, very apparent issue, and for most people the other is rather abstract and academic. Were the Nazi-run concentration camps that killed millions of Jews in World War II “abstract and academic”? I’m just trying to determine the level of erasure of a people that you are comfortable with. It sounds like you are comfortable with the erasure of trans people. Is that a statement you would agree with or disagree with? If you disagree with it, then don’t you think it’s the role of government to _prevent_ that erasure? And part of prevention would include _education_ so that the issue doesn’t sound so “abstract and academic”? Wouldn’t that make sense? > [@bump](#): > > the Democratic incompetence and willingness to go off and emphasize issues that don’t affect the majority of people frustrates the crap out of me. Yeah, but here’s the thing. They didn’t do this. They didn’t do this at the last elections. That wasn’t a thing that they did. They only said the word trans ONCE at the last convention. The whole campaign strategy (once they put the muzzle on Walz) revolved around _emphasising_ issues that largely affected the majority of people. That’s what they actually did. And it was a LOSER for them. The Democrats lost the house the senate the executive and the supremes for a generation. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat myself here. The strategy you think works isn’t a magic cheat code. It’s very boring. It’s inauthentic. It isn’t inspirational like Obama’s “hope and change”. It targets a very specific subset of voters, many of them would never vote for the Dems in the end anyway. It’s very likely the Dems will go into the next round of elections following this very same strategy. And they may well win some important victories. But it will be very unlikely to be a result of this very boring, very uninspiring strategy. It will be because of the massive _backlash_ to what Trump and his minions have been doing. It will be a mistake to believe that boring and uninspiring is the key to winning future elections. You have to (and I’ll say it again) give the people _something to vote for_. If the “something to vote for” is “we will worry about the majority and not care about the minority”, that in itself sends a very clear message to the electorate. It says, “We are in this ONLY for the votes. And when they end up coming for you, _we are not going to protect you_.” Because, and this is very very important, _it isn’t going to stop with trans people._ And if that’s the message you want to send, why on earth do you think they would vote for you? You can only take people’s votes for granted for so long before it blows up in your face. So if you don’t think the Dems should try and protect trans people, why should trans people vote for the Dems? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/468 "2026-05-26T15:31:46Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > > [@bump](#): > > > > Democratic incompetence and willingness to go off and emphasize issues that don’t affect the majority of people frustrates the crap out of me. > > Yeah, but here’s the thing. > > They didn’t do this. > > They didn’t do this at the last elections. > > That wasn’t a thing that they did. They only said the word trans ONCE at the last convention. > > The whole campaign strategy (once they put the muzzle on Walz) revolved around _emphasising_ issues that largely affected the majority of people. Quite! They _were_ trying to run a “normal” campaign and that was not enough. Meanwhile the whole “she’s for they/them, he’s for you” thing caught attention as the result of allowing _others_ to define the issues at play. Because they were being too careful, once again falling in the defensive “playing not to lose” trap. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811/469 "2026-05-27T20:26:32Z")
Yep, and that’s what led to me joining this thread: All of these takes that Democrats focused too much on these things that they did not actually focus on at all. In theory, I’m not actually unamenable to the idea of needing to do things progressively, in steps. I’m not against focusing on the things we have in common. While I am progressive (and honestly, further left) in beliefs, I’m very much oriented to a sort of “find the appropriate balance” strategy. It is my natural tendency to find ways both sides can be right. The issue I have is the claim that Dems need to pull back even more on trans rights. That they went too far. They absolutely most certainly did not. They did exactly what a lot of you are saying they should do, what even Frank said they should do. My argument is not “they should prioritize this over everything else.” My balance in this case is just coming out strong for all the things. Stop being the milquetoast party of restoring the status quo. Stop prioritizing this mythical moderate who is turned off by being strong on bigotry. Instead of being so scared to carve out a position because of alienating others against it, find things that they think are important. Fight for things, for fuck’s sake! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barney-frank-criticism-of-democratic-party/1029811.md?page=23)