Pretty bad mis-read of who shows up at election time. Harris was milquetoast and look what happened? She got beat by a reactionary and Democrats lost Congress because youth turnout was meh. The moderate middle didn’t elect Trump, Biden, or Trump 2, or Obama. And at this moment there is no economic middle ground. For anyone to feel any economic improvement in even six months after midterms, Drastic measures will be needed. And if Democrats get the House, they will try to prevent anything from improving so they can blame Vance and capture the Senate and Whitehouse. January 2029 with the House, Senate, and President? Bye bye filibuster, hello codify Roe v Wade, universal single payer, 13 SCOTUS JUSTICES, gay marriage, and Puerto Rico statehood.
It’s inaccurate to characterize the DSA as “dominant” in the Northeast. I know New York, so will only speak to that. Out of 26 Congress members, only 1 is DSA (and 3 candidates). Out of 12.5 million registered voters, fewer than 20,000 are DSA. Untwist those knickers.
I disagree that Democratic Socialism is the anchor for "far left"...that would be communism. Democratic socialists support democracy, not gerrymandering nor autocracy (ergo "democratic"); and are pro-capitalist, but not pro-oligarchs (ergo "socialist"). They are also not pro-communist (no matter what Fox would like us to believe). So at the core, they are also centrists, albeit center left, not extremists.
Well, as a left-leaning registered independent, I am beyond disgusted with the Democratic establishment's complete inability to meet this dire moment in our nation's history. (And by "establishment," I mean both the politicians and the pundits.)
Feckless appeasers like Schumer and Jefferies are emblematic of the inability and/or unwillingness of the party to counter our precipitous autocratic slide, and they appear wholly disinterested in protecting our democracy from the right wing extremism that has infected our institutions of government.
They (the establishment) are political creatures of a different time. A time when at least a modicum of civility and decorum and good faith bipartisan cooperation still existed. But those days are long gone. Not only is it pointless to try to find common cause with the aspiring fascists, I'd argue that it's actually counterproductive if not outright complicit, yet we continue to hear the same tired rhetoric. No, dammit. Stop bringing strongly worded letters to a knife-fight.
The establishment Dems are tone-deaf to the concerns of the Democratic base and to the drastic changes in our political landscape since the 20th century (including rampant corruption, absurd wealth inequality, secret police terrorizing our communities, and the destruction of our government institutions).
Moreover, they are completely beholden to their corporate benefactors (including AI and Crypto), and maintain unwavering loyalty to AIPAC/Israel in the face of a 21st Century holocaust. It's not rocket-surgery, a majority of Americans strongly oppose genocide. ...Strongly oppose ICE and its concentration camps, AI data centers, reckless and unlawful use of our military, and brazen political corruption. These are not "Democratic Socialist issues," these are widely-held concerns about the accelerating erosion of the values and promise of this nation.
Establishment politicians and pundits would be wise to stop worshipping highly paid beltway consulting firms (and their focus group tested platitudes), and start listening to their constituents' concerns.
They need to stop fighting the Democratic base harder than they are fighting actual fascists. If Jeffries and Schumer (and many others) fought Chump (and Thune and Johnson) as hard as they are fighting Mamdani and the next generation of leaders in their own party, we might have actually stopped some of the madness and corruption we have endured from this regime.
But, once again, I fear that the establishment Dems are poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory... like they've done time and time again. It's pathetic and exhausting.
“For every action, there is Ann equal and opposite reaction”. The law that’s true in physics is also true in politics. MAGA pulled the established Republican Party so far to the right as to make it unrecognizable. It has been a 50 year project for the powers that be to do it too. The states where establishment candidates are showing up are either former red states or states that have been gerrymandered red. The Democratic Socialist movement has gained strength in New York, a reliably blue state, where the old “established liberal”policies have massively failed for people so they are then quite willing to try something new. Ultimately, IMO, the pendulum will swing back toward the left which the Democratic Socialist movement will help, but will inevitably end up back more center. Whether we see a right or left tilt will all depend on how badly MAGA, trump and the supreme court have damaged the underpinnings of our Constitution and rule of law. Recovery will take both time and patience. I hope collectively we can muster up enough patience to work through all that will need repairing. The solid middle class that has acted as a buffer between a two tiered society has been severely hollowed out which makes the possibility of a sizable social upheaval a distinct possibility now. As I said in an earlier comment, buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
There is no going back to the status quo. I think Democrats are better positioned because we typically believe that government can help people live their lives in peace, freedom and dignity. I keep going back to FDR's 4 Freedoms. That should be the blueprint for moving forward. If we shrug this off and don't demand accountability and change, MAGA will come roaring back. The Republican Party has come to the end of the road, after over 40 years of accumulating power and bankrupting the country. This is a golden opportunity for Democrats to step forward and lead the nation into a new era. Backbiting and fighting isn't going to cut it. Nothing regarding politics in our country will ever be the same. That might be a good thing.
While I agree with you that most people do not think through the details of policy and often vote hemostatically the fact is that winning elections is about getting the capacity to actually enact policy. What DSA candidates like Mandami are offering voters is a promise to actually make changes that will cut their costs or address the problems that they face. This, I think, is why they are really doing well.
Consider that Harris stated that she would lower costs but never explained what she would do differently to make it happen. Or consider how many years Democrats have campaigned on raising the minimum wage or lowering drug prices but never done so. Indeed when they finally did enact drug price negotiation (which polled quite well) they did so in a way that was limited, delayed, and so carefully tailored that most voters are unaware of what they did.
I agree that people often react negatively to policies and often vote the actors out. But over the long term such actions still have major effects. Despite losing handily Newt Gingrich still made radical changes to congress that are being felt today and which made Trump's power possible. Despite public dissatisfaction with the Democrats Obamacare still remains.
Ultimately if the only going advice for Democrats is to not make waves then they will still face losses down the road but with zero accomplishments. At least by trying to make and keep a plan they can produce real substantive change.
Thomas thank you for writing this commentary. Your insights are always accurate which is why this former newspaper reporter who covered government and politics and current election official (15 years) susscribes
NC and the nation will be very fortunate to have Roy Cooper in the US Senate. He is all about decency and integrity. I know. I reported to him for 11 years while he was Attorney General.
How about "All politics is local" rather than "The Dems are divided"? Democratic Socialist candidates are entirely appropriate and electable if the voters' sensibilities match those of the candidates. Mandami and others like him can win in the local elections of NYC, but not in purple states like NC. That's what candidates like Roy Cooper are for. That does not mean that the Democratic Party is "divided"; it means we can run and elect candidates that represent the electorate.
You are correct, Stuff … History shows us that as the more progressive tickets push, the established dems caution to not overdo it. As a result, our campaigns become standard milk toast. The young voters are waking up, and they want change. (So do I). People become engaged i elections when they feel candidates are listening.
So I ask folks, as we are advised to not push too hard, who is currently in control of our White House, Congress and the courts? Elections are definitely based on local issues, and since the dems are the big tent, issues are not always aligned, but our basic values are.
At the end of the day "not overdoing it" is the real problem. Democrats have campaigned on raising minimum wage for years but never did it. They campaigned on drug price negotiation and only did it in a small way with a slow start and limited effect. In the end people get frustrated with choosing between reactionaries who promise to burn everything and people who fight hard to do nothing.
While I doubt all voters want what DSA is offering I think that the Democrats would do well to consider doing something as opposed to nothing at all.
This was difficult to read because I'm very liberal, progressive, maybe even a Democratic Socialist, and it does seem like we're flying high. Thud. Back down to earth. You're right. I'm retired, pretty financially secure, and I have time to read political substacks, maybe even become a paid supporter, and pay attention to people like Mamdani and Graham Plattner. But the young mom, working full-time outside the home with two kids and maybe a husband, doesn't have the bandwith right now to watch Zohran Mamdani jump into a swimming pool in a suit and tie. She wants to make sure her kids are in a good daycare for the summer and that she can get a decent, affordable dinner on the table when she gets home. I forget how lucky I am.
Pretty bad mis-read of who shows up at election time. Harris was milquetoast and look what happened? She got beat by a reactionary and Democrats lost Congress because youth turnout was meh. The moderate middle didn’t elect Trump, Biden, or Trump 2, or Obama. And at this moment there is no economic middle ground. For anyone to feel any economic improvement in even six months after midterms, Drastic measures will be needed. And if Democrats get the House, they will try to prevent anything from improving so they can blame Vance and capture the Senate and Whitehouse. January 2029 with the House, Senate, and President? Bye bye filibuster, hello codify Roe v Wade, universal single payer, 13 SCOTUS JUSTICES, gay marriage, and Puerto Rico statehood.
It’s inaccurate to characterize the DSA as “dominant” in the Northeast. I know New York, so will only speak to that. Out of 26 Congress members, only 1 is DSA (and 3 candidates). Out of 12.5 million registered voters, fewer than 20,000 are DSA. Untwist those knickers.
I disagree that Democratic Socialism is the anchor for "far left"...that would be communism. Democratic socialists support democracy, not gerrymandering nor autocracy (ergo "democratic"); and are pro-capitalist, but not pro-oligarchs (ergo "socialist"). They are also not pro-communist (no matter what Fox would like us to believe). So at the core, they are also centrists, albeit center left, not extremists.
Well, as a left-leaning registered independent, I am beyond disgusted with the Democratic establishment's complete inability to meet this dire moment in our nation's history. (And by "establishment," I mean both the politicians and the pundits.)
Feckless appeasers like Schumer and Jefferies are emblematic of the inability and/or unwillingness of the party to counter our precipitous autocratic slide, and they appear wholly disinterested in protecting our democracy from the right wing extremism that has infected our institutions of government.
They (the establishment) are political creatures of a different time. A time when at least a modicum of civility and decorum and good faith bipartisan cooperation still existed. But those days are long gone. Not only is it pointless to try to find common cause with the aspiring fascists, I'd argue that it's actually counterproductive if not outright complicit, yet we continue to hear the same tired rhetoric. No, dammit. Stop bringing strongly worded letters to a knife-fight.
The establishment Dems are tone-deaf to the concerns of the Democratic base and to the drastic changes in our political landscape since the 20th century (including rampant corruption, absurd wealth inequality, secret police terrorizing our communities, and the destruction of our government institutions).
Moreover, they are completely beholden to their corporate benefactors (including AI and Crypto), and maintain unwavering loyalty to AIPAC/Israel in the face of a 21st Century holocaust. It's not rocket-surgery, a majority of Americans strongly oppose genocide. ...Strongly oppose ICE and its concentration camps, AI data centers, reckless and unlawful use of our military, and brazen political corruption. These are not "Democratic Socialist issues," these are widely-held concerns about the accelerating erosion of the values and promise of this nation.
Establishment politicians and pundits would be wise to stop worshipping highly paid beltway consulting firms (and their focus group tested platitudes), and start listening to their constituents' concerns.
They need to stop fighting the Democratic base harder than they are fighting actual fascists. If Jeffries and Schumer (and many others) fought Chump (and Thune and Johnson) as hard as they are fighting Mamdani and the next generation of leaders in their own party, we might have actually stopped some of the madness and corruption we have endured from this regime.
But, once again, I fear that the establishment Dems are poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory... like they've done time and time again. It's pathetic and exhausting.
“For every action, there is Ann equal and opposite reaction”. The law that’s true in physics is also true in politics. MAGA pulled the established Republican Party so far to the right as to make it unrecognizable. It has been a 50 year project for the powers that be to do it too. The states where establishment candidates are showing up are either former red states or states that have been gerrymandered red. The Democratic Socialist movement has gained strength in New York, a reliably blue state, where the old “established liberal”policies have massively failed for people so they are then quite willing to try something new. Ultimately, IMO, the pendulum will swing back toward the left which the Democratic Socialist movement will help, but will inevitably end up back more center. Whether we see a right or left tilt will all depend on how badly MAGA, trump and the supreme court have damaged the underpinnings of our Constitution and rule of law. Recovery will take both time and patience. I hope collectively we can muster up enough patience to work through all that will need repairing. The solid middle class that has acted as a buffer between a two tiered society has been severely hollowed out which makes the possibility of a sizable social upheaval a distinct possibility now. As I said in an earlier comment, buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.
There is no going back to the status quo. I think Democrats are better positioned because we typically believe that government can help people live their lives in peace, freedom and dignity. I keep going back to FDR's 4 Freedoms. That should be the blueprint for moving forward. If we shrug this off and don't demand accountability and change, MAGA will come roaring back. The Republican Party has come to the end of the road, after over 40 years of accumulating power and bankrupting the country. This is a golden opportunity for Democrats to step forward and lead the nation into a new era. Backbiting and fighting isn't going to cut it. Nothing regarding politics in our country will ever be the same. That might be a good thing.
What do you win elections for?
While I agree with you that most people do not think through the details of policy and often vote hemostatically the fact is that winning elections is about getting the capacity to actually enact policy. What DSA candidates like Mandami are offering voters is a promise to actually make changes that will cut their costs or address the problems that they face. This, I think, is why they are really doing well.
Consider that Harris stated that she would lower costs but never explained what she would do differently to make it happen. Or consider how many years Democrats have campaigned on raising the minimum wage or lowering drug prices but never done so. Indeed when they finally did enact drug price negotiation (which polled quite well) they did so in a way that was limited, delayed, and so carefully tailored that most voters are unaware of what they did.
I agree that people often react negatively to policies and often vote the actors out. But over the long term such actions still have major effects. Despite losing handily Newt Gingrich still made radical changes to congress that are being felt today and which made Trump's power possible. Despite public dissatisfaction with the Democrats Obamacare still remains.
Ultimately if the only going advice for Democrats is to not make waves then they will still face losses down the road but with zero accomplishments. At least by trying to make and keep a plan they can produce real substantive change.
Thomas thank you for writing this commentary. Your insights are always accurate which is why this former newspaper reporter who covered government and politics and current election official (15 years) susscribes
Hmmm! Democrat, socialism sounds like your column was written by a right wingnut.
NC and the nation will be very fortunate to have Roy Cooper in the US Senate. He is all about decency and integrity. I know. I reported to him for 11 years while he was Attorney General.
How about "All politics is local" rather than "The Dems are divided"? Democratic Socialist candidates are entirely appropriate and electable if the voters' sensibilities match those of the candidates. Mandami and others like him can win in the local elections of NYC, but not in purple states like NC. That's what candidates like Roy Cooper are for. That does not mean that the Democratic Party is "divided"; it means we can run and elect candidates that represent the electorate.
You are correct, Stuff … History shows us that as the more progressive tickets push, the established dems caution to not overdo it. As a result, our campaigns become standard milk toast. The young voters are waking up, and they want change. (So do I). People become engaged i elections when they feel candidates are listening.
So I ask folks, as we are advised to not push too hard, who is currently in control of our White House, Congress and the courts? Elections are definitely based on local issues, and since the dems are the big tent, issues are not always aligned, but our basic values are.
At the end of the day "not overdoing it" is the real problem. Democrats have campaigned on raising minimum wage for years but never did it. They campaigned on drug price negotiation and only did it in a small way with a slow start and limited effect. In the end people get frustrated with choosing between reactionaries who promise to burn everything and people who fight hard to do nothing.
While I doubt all voters want what DSA is offering I think that the Democrats would do well to consider doing something as opposed to nothing at all.
This was difficult to read because I'm very liberal, progressive, maybe even a Democratic Socialist, and it does seem like we're flying high. Thud. Back down to earth. You're right. I'm retired, pretty financially secure, and I have time to read political substacks, maybe even become a paid supporter, and pay attention to people like Mamdani and Graham Plattner. But the young mom, working full-time outside the home with two kids and maybe a husband, doesn't have the bandwith right now to watch Zohran Mamdani jump into a swimming pool in a suit and tie. She wants to make sure her kids are in a good daycare for the summer and that she can get a decent, affordable dinner on the table when she gets home. I forget how lucky I am.