A history of being woke leads to a future of losing elections
Democrats may need a new frontline entirely
Democrats have a problem. With the lowest approval rating possibly ever, they sit on the sidelines while Republicans push their agenda in the federal government, and as President Trump’s approval rating —though the honeymoon period is over—sits near 50 percent. As voters call out for party leaders to be more aggressive, they also want them to be more moderate.
I agree with Vox writer Eric Levitz in his conversation with Matthew Yglesias: the party’s moderation problem has more to do with the negative stereotypes Democrats represent, like being too tolerant of far-left antics, rather than being out of touch — or more in touch than Republicans — with voters on key issues. However, that tolerance of extremism was very real and apparent to voters. And with the recent buzz in liberal circles about what Democrats should strive for, abundance economics and combative centrism approaches, I thought it’d be meaningful to discuss what any national candidate will need to come to the table with— or without.
Not just anyone will be able to pick up the “common sense” party mantle and carry Democrats into the sunset. Things like their history of position-taking and criticism of their own party’s coalition will be extremely significant in convincing voters they’re one of them.
A history of unpopular politics
When Kamala Harris took over in the presidential campaign, most voters saw her as too extreme—even compared to Trump. Although running relatively moderate to her cohorts in party leadership, it was simply too late. Not only because of the abnormally short timeframe but because, like many other national Democratic figures who have been on camera before 2022, she had a history of unpopular positions. Voters attributed that history to conforming with their presupposed stereotypes about Democrats. Harris not only had to compete against the media, Trump, and left-wing activists, but she also had to compete against her former self— making it harder for voters to connect with the real candidate.
The necessity of proving one’s loyalty to party principles while convincing moderates of the genuineness of their moderate positions will be the key for any Democrat with aspirations of the presidency. It’s not only about popularism; it’s about connecting with large segments of the population— which is hard when you publicly supported tax-payer sex change operations for felons in prisons or whatever.
In an interview with POLITICO, former Democratic nominee for Vice President Tim Walz explained how when a party loses, they must assess their failing campaign strategies. In his typical fashion, Walz likened Democrat’s caution with media appearances throughout the campaign to a “prevent defense to not lose when we never had anything to lose because I don’t think we were ever ahead.”
He’s right. Democrats’ risk-averse strategy did them no favors, especially as voters were willing to risk it all with Trump to show their dissatisfaction with the party. They refused to see the election for what it was: a referendum on Democratic stereotypes, not Trump. And while I acknowledge no Democrat had a chance with a large portion of the electorate, like MAGA enthusiasts or anti-Zionists, many moderate voters held negative ideas about the party that fit the right’s connotations of them—dwindling the gains made by a “quick-fix” moderation scheme.
For some reason, it does seem like Trump mostly has immunity from criticism of his moderation on issues like abortionand H-1B visas. But he’s in a league of his own when changing his mind on a whim—it’s mostly baked into the cake. But with the country moving to the right ideologically, anyone who was infected with the woke bug on the left would be indefinitely tainted as too far left for the near future. It would take little to no effort for the opposition — including leftists — to find a video from 2018 of a Democratic candidate discussing DEI or LGBTQ issues in a way that deteriorates their chances.
The future is dim
At each of Harris’ rallies, she faced protestors calling for an ending of Israel funding. Her policy prescriptions were deemed too far left from the right and too conservative for the left. With the expected census data in 2030, Democrats are looking at an even larger disadvantage in the Electoral College.
The solution for Democrats’ problem with stereotypes: stop dogmatically championing unpopular, extreme policies! And stop being disdainful and dogmatic about them! This approach will mean rejecting major elements of the woke era, criticizing the Biden Admin’s failures, and being generally anti-MAGA while having the skill of speaking to the concerns of average people—whether rural poor folks or urban rich coastal elites. Democrats need support from both groups. As I said in a recent piece, they need more than the awoken and party loyalists to defeat authoritarianism—evidently.
After Trump's first Address to Congress, Democrats tapped Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan for the response. One of the main sticking points was her gratitude that Ronald Reagan, not Trump, was in office during the final years of the Cold War with Russia. Instead of focusing on her critique of isolationism and the betrayal of allies, Slotkin was criticized for praising Reagan. Though Slotkin is mostly unknown to many, the ongoing Democratic tug-of-war between both sides of the political spectrum continues. But one thing I didn’t hear much from: conservatives and moderates!
They won’t believe you unless it’s real
What Democrats need is a completely new type of leader—someone who wasn’t on camera answering ACLU questionnaires in 2019 or claiming nothing was wrong with immigration in 2022. California Governor Gavin Newsome’s recent attempts to shift to the middle on identity politics and trans issues is another example of that strategy not working. There’s too much evidence of Newsome’s past progressive positions for conservatives or progressives to credulously accept his newfound nuance.
Democrats must present a united front of experienced leaders who have a history of moderate positions that stem from a commitment to progressive principles and incremental change. They’ll have to avoid demonizing the other side as much as possible. Democrats need to walk the walk and talk the talk; for too long, only one of these has been functioning effectively at a time. They have a stereotype of being woke, extreme, and elitist. If their history matches, they’ll have a tough time breaking free from it.