At this point, I think that party platforms are more of a wishlist than an actual substantial commitment to policy. Of course, the fact that platforms are just wishlists is a major problem in and of itself. Voters should be paying attention to how little of platforms actually make it into policy, but so much of what is stated in the platform is only possible in the first place if the party somehow gets a filibuster-proof majority in the senate. It’s almost all moot points, and everyone knows and tacitly consents to this.
As far as what the party can do to punish members, primary challenges and cutting party funding can bite, but incumbents have a big advantage over primary challengers and can get much more funding elsewhere anyway. It doesn’t seem to me like the DNC can do much about Manchin and Sinema one way or the other. They can try, but I don’t see it accomplishing much.
My main point, though, is: we need these kinds of commitments from individual members of Congress, and Senator Warren is doing exactly the right thing. We can harp about the party leadership all we want, but the votes in the Senate from individual senators are what is going to win the day, rather than what the DNC does or doesn’t do.
