The Democratic party risks losing me if they keep proposing policies that some people might like

I’m a life-long Democrat. Sure, I voted for Reagan twice and Perot once, and have tactically voted a few times for the GOP when the alternative was a far-left wacko like John Kerry or Kamala Harris. But I’ve always considered myself a rooting member of Team D — part of “the base,” even. And I’ve got to warn the Democrats: if they don’t do something soon, I’ll have no choice but to leave the party.

Let’s talk about free speech. This used to be a core principle of the left wing. Now it’s all censorship and “political correctness.” We used to cherish the open exchange of ideas in this country, even unpopular ones. I ask you, what is the chilling effect on my freedom of speech when I can’t even wear my “proud Zionist” shirt around without someone calling me a “fucking idiot?” The GOP would never stand for that.

Or consider transgender athletes in youth sports, absolutely the most pressing issue facing our nation right now. I’m not bigoted against anybody. But I don’t think a boy should be beating up a girl in middle school and winning trophies for it, and I don’t care if that’s actually happened or not. It’s about principles. Republicans may be a little less civil on this issue than I’d like, but at least they’re doing something. What have Democrats done?

I like to say that I’m socially liberal and economically conservative. I’m all for women having driver’s licenses and even, in certain cases, their own bank accounts. Believe it or not, I’m even in favor of legal abortion, and despite what the far-left media would have you believe, it is still legal to travel from Texas to Massachusetts to get one.

But I think the Democrats have gone too far with their tax proposals. Tax the rich? Hell yes! It’s when ordinary, middle-class guys like me see their tax burdens increase that I start to wonder how out-of-touch the party elites have gotten. You should see the property tax bill I’m shouldering between Cambridge and Martha’s Vineyard. It’s outrageous. I’m a working stiff like anybody else. Really rich guys — I’m talking billionaires — should obviously pay more. I know because I see them up close all the time as a member of their boards of directors.

It would, of course, be childish to imagine that any party or even any candidate would match my policy preferences 100%. That’s democracy. So, for example, even though Joe Biden disappointed me on some issues, such as forgiving student loans and strengthening labor protections, he also far exceeded my expectations on others, such as obliterating Gaza. And frankly, I would have been much happier voting for him in 2024 than the alternative (some broad).

Still, a man must have principles and there comes a time when he must be prepared to sacrifice for them. So although the Democratic party has, until this point in time, served my well-heeled, centrist interests, unless they can rein in their more extreme members — like that guy in New York who wants people to be able to afford to live there — they’re going to lose me. But I won’t have left the party. The party will have left me.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author, who was named in the Epstein Files but did not remove his underwear.