The party may reclaim the US House and even Senate, but primary candidates are far from united on how to move forward
Across the country, in front yards and on main streets, at dairy breakfasts and inside breweries, voters are delivering a similar message to Democratic primary candidates: they’re tired of both parties, and sick of being ignored.
The Democratic party brand is bruised after its disastrous 2024 presidential loss. A botched review of the defeat by the Democratic National Committee, and a drawn-out process over releasing the so-called autopsy, created another round of handwringing over the party’s direction.
On doorsteps, though, the voters don’t bring up the autopsy, or the party’s brand, according to candidates nationwide. They want a party that will stand up to Trump, fight for their healthcare and housing, make life more affordable, rein in immigration agents, build up their schools, get the US out of war and lower gas prices, protect their jobs from AI, confront the climate crisis and prevent datacenters from coming in.
Yes and No. Yes I agree scapegoating is immoral and also not productive. No his rhetoric (combined with that of pro-MAGA content) wasn’t solely fixated on destroying lives of people for funsies.
The immigrants he accused of “stealing your jobs”. People of color were allegedly hogging healthcare and houses. “DEI” keeps white men from getting jobs. “Woke” made men lonely. Trans people were corrupting kids and doing “sex change operations in schools”. yadda yadda. It’s all nonsense to us, but it’s compelling nonsense to the USA population, and I think we ought to reiterate why.
Leftists have solutions to these issues, too—largely based on the knowledge that the scarcity is artificial. Single-payer healthcare; clawing back homes from private equity; worker protections and unemployment safety nets; third spaces for socialization…