The Work of the Democratic Party

It's "always already" a moderate, pragmatic, progressive, and far-left party all at once

The work of party politics

If the trend pieces are to be believed,¹ the Democratic Party in the United States is always going through various “come-to-Jesus” moments.² Campaign managers, donors, think-tankers, and grassroots volunteers have spent decades hosting closed-door summits and drafting rescue plans. Some of these have involved major policy proposals, while others have focused on “better messaging.” At each juncture, the underlying question stays the same: will the party remake itself in a meaningful way, or simply talk about doing so?

This question surfaces most insistently after big defeats. The 2024 election, which ended in defeat for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and cost the party seats in Congress, was no exception. Many activists hoped that a broad reckoning would follow. Several attempts at “listening sessions” and “unity retreats” have since taken place. According to a recent article in The New York Times, the worry among many Democrats is that the party is wasting its chance to regroup.³ Talk of forging a new identity is being drowned out by lingering resentments. Progressives see a party that has grown timid. Centrists see a party that has swung too far left. Both sides share the suspicion that nothing will truly change. They’re right, albeit for the wrong reasons.

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