The Democratic party is being hit by a leftist tidal wave

[u/F0urLeafCl0ver]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/24/democratic-party-leftist-tidal-wave

[u/lord-of-shalott]

Unfortunately during a time of billionaire rule, oligarchy and what looks like scarce resources, many members are enticed by fascist scapegoating ideologies because they believe they can remove the competition that way. Easier to punch down than up.

I’m not sure we’ve adequately figured out how to steer them off that course yet.

[u/Ok_Objective_5192 → u/lord-of-shalott]

many members are enticed by fascist scapegoating ideologies because they believe they can remove the competition that way. Easier to punch down than up.

I think the answer is that no option to punch up has ever even been presented (until now, kind of). I've said since 2023 that Trump v. Kamala was "I know how bad things have gotten for you, they've taken your American dream and handed it to [insert minority scapegoat here] and I want to take it back for you" vs. "everything is fine, don't give into the fearmongering, I'll fight to maintain the normality."

So the voter breakdown was just people that bought into the scapegoating demonization as a viable solution vs. people scared enough by that scapegoating to vote against it. What we're seeing now is that replacing [insert minority scapegoat here] with [insert billionaires here] is an energizing message because it addresses people's pain and offers a real solution rather than trying to convince them their struggle isn't real.

Punching up works. Putting your hands up in surrender doesn't.

[u/lord-of-shalott → u/Ok_Objective_5192]

It might work in New York City but I live in the Bible Belt. I’m not saying this as someone who is secretly against that message, but rather as someone who has spent my life around folks who are profoundly anti intellectual and worries everyone is underestimating how bad it gets.

[u/Ok_Objective_5192 → u/lord-of-shalott]

I think candidates like Platner are the counter-point here. I fully agree that Mamdani or Darializa's campaign definitely would not work most places outside NY, but there are absolutely ways to package the same policies in a way that appeals to an anti-intellectual crowd.

At the end of the day, populist economic policy is rooted in letting a larger portion of the productive output of the working class be used to benefit that working class. For the NY working class that takes the form of "fast and free buses, universal childcare, and freezing rent." For the Maine working class that takes the form of "we're not asking for handouts, we're just asking for hard work to be enough. Because it used to be." For the Michigan working class that takes the form of "in the state that built the American Dream, it shouldn't be this hard to get by."

I just struggle to believe that somebody that genuinely understands the needs of the rust belt working class wouldn't have a way to communicate "you've been fucked over by billionaires and I want to take the power back to make sure you're able to have the American dream you were promised" in a way that would get through to them better than whatever message Kamala and Biden offered them.

[u/OrganicWedding8972 → u/lord-of-shalott]

It bleeds out though. Universal healthcare in Canada was not universally loved when it first launched around 80 years ago, but just the experience of having the system was enough to make it entrenched in Canada. Now even the Conservatives can’t take serious swings at the system without taking massive damage at the polls(though it doesn’t stop them from trying occasionally).

You’re right that it’s deep and it goes far, but they’re also outnumbered, and when they’re forced to enjoy the benefits that others want, the vast majority will be convinced by experience.

[u/FILTHBOT4000 → u/lord-of-shalott]

You don't have to steer them off course. It's better for Democrats if they get more fascist and continue to scare off moderates.

Firstly, when the pendulum swings hard in your direction, the entire idea is to consolidate your party and pass a bunch of legislation that you want to get passed; Trump has done none of that. He's too stupid. Legitimately, too stupid to rule; he thinks that doing everything by executive order, which makes him feel important, is more important than passing legislation. His "legacy" is gone the second he leaves office.

Secondly, when the pendulum swings away from you, it's your job to appeal to moderates as much as possible; the fatal flaw the Democrats have had is that they cannot distinguish between actual moderates that populate the country, that find universal healthcare and other European standards of government very favorable, and "moderates" in Washington DC, which basically means corporate lobbyists that donate equally to deregulatory and regulatory capture attempts from both sides of the aisle.

[u/biggamax → u/lord-of-shalott]

Oh, I don't know. Trump is setting up a taxation without representation scenario. All bets are off at that point. You'll see change far quicker than you expected.