As Democrats, conversations with Republicans can be pointless at best, and at worst, so aggravating that it makes you want to pull your hair out. These days, finding common ground is becoming harder and harder. We’ve already covered some of the ways that Republicans and the alt-right have ensured this–from the rise of MAGA to specifically targeting men and preying on their insecurities.
But it’s time to shed some light on the Democratic establishment, too. Unfortunately, they haven’t exactly been a strong opposing force–often reinforcing the very policies that helped pave the way for Trump and the MAGA bros.
The right, the center, and everyone else
To level-set, it’s important to realize that American politics as a whole swings toward the right. Our parties aren’t neatly separated by progressive and conservative. Instead, we’ve been dealing with an increasingly far-right, populist party, and a centrist (even slightly right), neoliberal party.
When we’re talking about American politics, there are also some key terms to keep in mind:
* Populism: Speaking to the general population in a way that frames them against a more powerful group.
* Neoliberalism: Economic ideology that prioritizes free markets above all and global human rights intervention at the government level.
* Socialism: A government that prioritizes collectivism and ensures its people own and control the means of production.
Why do these definitions matter in this context? Let’s take a quick walk through the recent history of the Democratic party.
Across party lines, our society tends to fear the term “socialism,” but we’ve had successful socialist policies passed before that we still use to this day. Think Medicare, Medicaid, and social security. At key moments throughout U.S. history it’s been clear that policies like these, which prioritize workers and offer greater social safety nets, have been successful. But, the modern Democratic party refuses to acknowledge this fact and leverage similar policies to fight against growing right populist extremism.
Zohran Mamdani and his Democratic mayoral campaign in New York is a great example. After building a grassroots coalition that even captured the votes of white men, the Democratic Party has still refused to endorse him. His policies are just “too socialist.” We saw the same story unfold in 2016 and 2020 with Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns as well. Time and time again, the Democratic party has proven that it aligns with establishment, neoliberal figures who are white, wealthy, and educated–not those who represent the average American.
In fact, policy from Democratic presidents in the past several decades further highlights this. We have Jimmy Carter in the ‘70s who deregulated air travel, trucking, and railroads–decisions that directly limited access to rural communities. In the ‘90s, Bill Clinton repealed the Glass-Steagall act, which was one variable that helped eventually bring about the Great Recession. Obama notoriously bailed out the banks during the Great Recession and chose to expand privatized health care instead of pushing a public option forward.
These examples further highlight Democratic leaders’ ongoing decisions to prioritize neoliberalism and profit over people.
Why appealing to identity politics falls short
Democrats have also started to become more and more untrustworthy to many Americans because of their appeal to identity politics instead of focusing on substantive policy.
When everyday costs continue to rise and wages stagnant for decades, people succumb to fear and scapegoating. They’re eager to point the finger at whoever they can–immigrants, transgender people, feminists, universities, and anyone who isn’t like them.
As Trump and the alt-right have adopted a strategy to push that type of scapegoating, Democrats remain several steps behind. Not only are they coming up short in terms of policy, but their messaging is even more focused on surface-level inclusivity. It’s not to say that inclusivity isn’t important, but when it isn’t backed by policy, it’s all too easy for their opponents to tear it apart.
The alienation of the working class
At the end of the day, we’re left with two parties that end up mirroring each other. Both parties alienate the working class in terms of policy, but only one continues to alienate them in terms of their marketing and communications.
While the Democratic party used to align itself with the working class, the evidence for that has grown thinner and thinner. It is now seen as the party of rich, college-educated, white elites. Meanwhile, the party continues to bulldoze past the fact that the majority of the U.S. does not fit into this demographic: non-college educated voters make up 57% of the electorate, with 60% in swing states.
The Democrats have even managed to lose votes from Black and Latino men because of this alienation. More and more, people are voting purely based on their economic realities–they care about how much their groceries cost, not which members of congress are celebrating Pride or implementing DEI.
This sentiment is increasingly reflected in public performance: 27% of registered voters had a positive view of the Democratic Party in 2024, and that was the lowest rating since 1990. The approval ratings for Democrats in Congress are also consistently below 50%.
So, what now?
There’s an active debate going on about what the Democrats can do moving forward. Some say it’s changing the Democratic agenda and communications to make it even more moderate, with policy proposals to match with broader deregulation. Many even say that it’s time to reach across the aisle and begin to compromise more, but others agree that you cannot compromise with fascism.
We’re just two chismosas, and we don’t have all the answers, but we agree that we need two things–policy that focuses on greater economic security for all Americans, and an active movement to rediscover what we all love about this country.
As for the Democratic party, it’s in desperate need of a reboot. Instead of zooming past half of the country, it’s time to take a step back, educate, and find some way that we can meet in the middle.
Sources mentioned
* How the Democratic Party Can Win Back the Working Class - Chuck Rocha
* The End of the Line: Cuomo, Mamdani, and the Last Warning for the Democratic Party - Jason Egenberg
* “We have the lamest opposition in American history.” - J.D. Vance
* The 4 working-class votes — Brookings Institution
* What today’s working class wants from political leaders — Brookings Institution
* Have the Democrats Become the Party of the Élites? — The New Yorker
* The Most Important Divide in American Politics — Governing
* Class Dealignment Is the Defining Political Challenge of Our Time — Jacobin
* Dealignment — Sidecar (New Left Review)
* Changing Partisan Coalitions in a Politically Divided Nation — Pew Research Center
* Democrats Can Win Back the Working-Class with Economic Populism — Inequality.org
* The Age of Class Dealignment — Jacobin
* Democrats Must Choose: The Elites or the Working Class — Portside
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The Chismosa Chat is a podcast brought to you by Claire Bough and Karla Georges, two chismosas who got tired of keeping their conversations to themselves. It’s a deep dive into the shocking news that you’re already talking about, with the hot takes that maybe you were only saying in your head. Join our chat as we cover American society and current events in the way we know best: being nosy AF.
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