Many have argued for years now that in terms of the Congress that "Blue Dog" Democrats no longer exist. The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats, is a caucus of United States Congressional Representatives who identify as fiscally-responsible, centrist or moderate Democrats.
The current Coalition lists 27 members out of 235 Democrats in the 116th House of Representatives which the Democrat Party control. A clear minority voice in a Party driven in 2019 by the Progressive arm of the Democrat Party even though it is these 27 members that have the greatest risk of being removed from office in 2020.
Blue Dogs typically are Democrats in rural areas or districts that comprise a significant rural population. This can be seen in the Virginia 7th Congressional District where population density may be suburban Richmond, the bulk of the precincts and land mass in rural localities.
These Districts tend to be centrist or center right areas historically. In fact, Rep. Abigail Spanberger in 2018 was the first Democrat to win the Virginia 7th in decades. Spanberger ran as a "pragmatic" moderate in her election bid against incumbent Republican David Brat who himself had defeated long time Republican Eric Cantor years prior in a Republican primary thanks in part to the Tea Party movement. Spanberger was assisted in truth by the redistricting measure executed in Virginia which removed every Hanover County precinct from the 7th Congressional District that historically has gone Republican with almost seventy percent of the vote.
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The fate of the Blue Dogs in 2020 remains tenuous as best given the lack of any significant accomplishment of the 116th Congress. With little to point to except impeachment inquiries and investigation after investigation, Progressives have neutered any opportunity for Blue Dog Democrats to work with Republicans. They have yet to live up to the basis for their own coalition.
Abigail Spanberger who promised voters to work with Republicans on immigration, trade and fiscal policy reforms has yet to muster one single success. In fact, she has voted with the Progressive arm of the Democrat Party almost 90% of the time since assuming office in January. Spanberger has been incredibly effective at engaging constituents throughout the Congressional session but is delivering RED MEAT to her base in Henrico County and Chesterfield suburbia. The rest of the district not unlike most Blue Dog districts that supported President Trump in 2016 have been delivered in effect Vegan burgers lean on any substance.
“Bipartisanship, fiscal responsibility, defense, and working with business as well as labor ... the country is more reflective of that Blue Dog philosophy now,” Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon stated reflecting on the current political environment yet little has been done to effective meet that standard by these Democrats.
Blue Dogs have an opportunity at redemption before the election cycle begins for them in 2020 and that is the passage of USMCA trade agreement between the United States, Mexico and Canada that is widely praised as more beneficial to the United States than the NAFTA policies of the 1990's.
Will "Blue Dogs" like Rep. Abigail Spanberger VA-7 demand a vote on USMCA and join Republicans in the House or will they once again turn their backs on their own standard for the existence and once again cave to the Progressives obstructing any measure that would move the country forward in a feckless attempt to harm the President going into 2020?
The Moderate Democrats failed constituents on immigration and permitted the reduction of the National Defense Authorization Act by 17 billion and now appear poised to do it again over trade by aligning with Progressives.
The reckoning for these Democrats may be on the horizon.
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