#democratic-party

#democratic-party

The election playing out on both sides of the Hudson River is something of an experiment about the Democratic Party during the second Trump era. Is the future Mamdani, a movement politician fluent in social media who commands the attention of both his faithful and his detractors? Or is it Sherrill, who has the sort of résumé and mainstream credentials that Establishment Democrats have long thought is the key to winning over voters skeptical of their party?

This week, live from Chicago to celebrate 20 years of the Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Trump vs. Chicago showdown and the dynamics between progressive and centrist Democrats with former Chicago Mayor and Obama White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, what threat President Trump poses to the future of American elections and how to push back, and memorable moments from Gabfest history.

"The world is changing, the Democratic Party is changing, and it's time," Wiener said in an interview with The Times. "I know San Francisco, I have worked tirelessly to represent this community - delivering housing, health care, clean energy, LGBTQ and immigrant rights - and I have a fortitude and backbone to be able to deliver for San Francisco in Congress."

After years of pretending that no other qualities mattered in a politician besides one's race, sex, and sexuality, Democrats have discovered that competence and charisma, two traits without which candidates will fail, are far more important than whether you are black, gay, or non-binary. For the past few months, three of the Democratic Party's most beloved DEI stars have been taking arrows left and right from the very same party establishment that elevated their careers in the first place.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin on Friday endorsed Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the New York City mayoral race, just weeks ahead of Election Day. "He's running to make NYC more affordable for everyone and has captured the nation's attention with his incredible campaign," Martin, who was elected by fellow Democrats to his position earlier this year, wrote in a post on X. "Go vote for Zohran this November!"

On a recent panel of progressive activists analyzing what went wrong in the 2024 election, the author, activist, and failed political candidate Qasim Rashid spoke with confidence about the way forward for the Democratic Party. The problem, he insisted, was not that Democrats had strayed too far from public opinion but that the party had grown too solicitous of it. "Saying the right thing timidly," he proclaimed, "is less effective than saying the wrong thing loudly."

As a and lifelong political junkie, and for the last six years as a journalist, I've seen my party stumble before. I've watched us weather humiliating losses, recover, and reinvent ourselves. But rarely have I felt as demoralized as I do now. These past eight months under Trump's second (failed) attempt to be president, with his reckless presidency, a far-right and compliant , and a rubber-stamping Supreme Court all against us, have been among the darkest periods in modern Democratic history.

Whether far-left activists, Washington moderates or rural conservatives, Democratic leaders across the political spectrum are shrugging off the risks and embracing a government shutdown they say is needed to push back against President Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress. For Democrats, the shutdown fight marks a line in the sand born from months of frustration with their inability to stop Trump's norm-busting leadership. And they will continue to fight, regardless of the practical or political consequences, they say.

Ever since he helped avert a government shutdown in March-citing WIRED's reporting on Elon Musk's desire for one as part of his rationale -Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has been waiting for this moment to redeem himself. The problem is that Schumer may have already blown his chance. With a government shutdown now here, frustrations over Schumer's leadership have been bubbling up behind the scenes.

"We have an anger-tainment industry coupled with social media algorithms that feed and feed and feed those with those proclivities already."

The Democratic Party establishment isn't having a great year. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani pummeled Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral primary and is cruising to another landslide victory in November. If a Senate primary were held today, Chuck Schumer would lose to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by double digits. And the party's traditional pro-Israel consensus has become deeply unpopular, with three-quarters of Democrats supporting an arms embargo and agreeing that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Author Joan Williams argues that elitism has weakened the party and pushed people towards populism. As the popularity of the United States Democratic Party reaches historic lows, author Joan Williams argues that the party's elitism is still pushing people away. Williams is the founder of the Equality Action Center at the College of Law at the University of California at San Francisco and author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back.

We are strong 'cause we challenge each other. We are strong 'cause we're held accountable. We're strong because we believe there's a place for everyone here.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams insisted that the media needed to "understand what's going on right now, because I don't think this group of people agree about nothing" - yet they still don't.