Nelson Dorsey III is a student at Bowdoin College, majoring in government and legal studies. He is also a member of the Bowdoin football team and the founder of Bowdoin Christian Athletes.

As the shutdown drags on, Democrats in Washington continue to claim the moral high ground and insist they are the adults in the room. But adults do not pout or point fingers when they do not get their way; they negotiate. They find solutions. They govern. The Democratic Party used to understand that. Today, it punishes moderation and rewards tantrums.

The party that once built bridges for all Americans now burns them for social media clout. Democrats love to say they are the party of democracy, but real democracy works only when people are willing to compromise.

Instead, the left has turned compromise into a dirty word. Every debate over substance or policy feels like a battle for the nation’s soul; anyone who dares to reach across the aisle is viewed as a traitor. This is not leadership; it is paralysis — a paralysis that holds an entire nation hostage.

Consider Sen. Chuck Schumer’s own words. He recently said, “Every day gets better for us.”

Who is “us”? Not the American people, not the veterans waiting on their benefits, not the TSA agents working without pay. In the midst of a shutdown, the top Democrat is cheerful, as if the paychecks of hard-working Americans matter less than scoring political points.

Then there is House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, who openly stated, “Shutdowns are terrible, and of course, there will be families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously. But this is one of the few leverage times we have.”

Leverage — in other words, pain in exchange for political points.

The result is a governing crisis. Democrats in Washington have lost touch with the everyday Americans they claim to represent. The people who work two jobs, care for aging parents and balance checkbooks are the same ones paying the price for Washington’s dysfunction.

Democrats once understood that governing required compromise. They negotiated across party lines on major legislation that affected everyday Americans, from social programs to fiscal policy. Today, bipartisanship is considered optional, and success is measured in political soundbites, not real results.

Meanwhile, moderate voices in the GOP, those who genuinely want government to work, are being heard more clearly. Leaders like Sen. Susan Collins have built a career on finding solutions, while others chase headlines. Republicans aren’t perfect; no one is. But at least some in the party believe that governing means showing up, not shouting.

The GOP has a real opportunity right now: to reclaim the role of the responsible adult in the room. This does not mean abandoning principles; it means realizing that principles without practical action are just performances.

Democrats, on the other hand, have boxed themselves in. They have become so focused on winning moral arguments that they have forgotten how to win legislative ones. Specifically, during the continuing resolution negotiations, their focus is on showboating rather than finding solutions. They prefer being politically correct over being effective, and voters notice.

Americans care about results. They care that their paychecks are stretched thin, their taxes seem wasted and their leaders cannot keep the lights on. Every budget deadlock or funding negotiation reinforces one idea: the Democrats lack the appetite for good-faith governing.

And the public sees it. According to a Pew Research Center poll, voters are increasingly losing faith in Democrats and their leadership. Roughly three in four Americans — 75% — say they feel frustrated with the Democratic Party, up sharply from about half in 2019 and 2021.

That frustration is not just partisan fatigue; it reflects a growing sense that the party has become disconnected from the practical concerns of ordinary people. Many voters say Democrats talk more about “protecting democracy” than about governing competently, lowering costs or getting things done.

Republicans should take note. There is a clear opening for a party that prioritizes competence, stability and results over rhetoric. The question is whether the GOP can discipline itself enough to seize it.

Voters are waiting. They do not want another lecture about the “soul of democracy.” They want the government to work effectively, efficiently and responsibly. Grandstanding will not keep the lights on. Ordinary, middle-of-the-road Americans are watching, paying and waiting.

Leadership is about action, not applause. The Washington Democrats’ failure reminds us
that courage, competence and compromise are still the most radical acts of all.