Politico recently published a piece on a gathering of Third Way Democrats who got together to diagnose the problems of the Democratic party. Being essentially Centrists, they decided — unsurprisingly — that all of our problems were caused by “Radical Left Progressives.”
When several dozen Democratic political operatives and elected officials gathered at a tony resort off the Potomac River last month, frustration boiled over at the left wing of their party.
Democrats had become too obsessed with “ideological purity tests” and should push back “against far-left staffers and groups that exert a disproportionate influence on policy and messaging,” according to a document of takeaways from the gathering produced by the center-left group Third Way and obtained by POLITICO.
We can see much of this attitude in the response to Rep. Al Green’s vocal demonstration during the Not-State of the Union. When the GOP House moved to censure him for his sustained outburst, amazingly, 10 Democrats voted for the censure in concert with the MAGAs.
We can also see it with Gavin Newsom trying to rebrand himself by appealing to the right-wing by inviting Charlie Kirk to his podcast and blasting “Trans athletes in women’s sports.” Sadly, he’s pandering — which is regrettable.
This document from Third Way helps explain that vote and Newsom’s new attitude, and also the surprisingly timid reaction by establishment Democrats to Trump’s outrageous and dangerous behavior.
The group of moderate Democratic consultants, campaign staffers, elected officials and party leaders who gathered in Loudoun County, Virginia for a day-and-a-half retreat, where they plotted their party’s comeback, searched for why the party lost in November — and what to do about it. Much of what they focused their ire on centered on the kind of identity politics that they believed lost them races up and down the ballot.
One of the key ways to win back the trust of the working class, some gathered there argued, was to “reduce far-left influence and infrastructure” on the party, according to the takeaways document. That included building a more moderate campaign infrastructure and talent pipeline, pushing “back against far-left staffers and groups that exert a disproportionate influence on policy and messaging,” and refusing to participate in “far-left candidate questionnaires” and “forums that create ideological purity tests.”
There is of course a counter argument to this:
To be completely fair, we did lose votes in the middle class during the last election. And many of that was from Black and Latino minority voters, so there could be an argument to be made that trying to pander to those voters may have backfired.
However, almost all of Third Way’s complaints about the party were aimed at progressives who they feel have alienated the working and middle class of voters by focusing too heavily on “niche” issues such as racism and discrimination against marginalized groups.
Takeaways on Why Democrats Have a Cultural Disconnect with the Working Class
1. Overemphasis on Identity Politics
Many working-class voters feel Democrats prioritize niche identity-based groups with overbroad, unifying
messages, making them feel excluded rather than included.
2. The “Faculty Lounge” Problem
Democrats are often viewed as judgmental, out-of-touch, and dismissive of those without elite education
or progressive views. This makes the party seem disconnected from everyday people.
3. Failure to Prioritize Economic Concerns
While voters struggle with jobs, wages, and inflation, Democrats are seen as more focused on cultural and
social issues than on economic progress and opportunity.
4. Weak Messaging & Communication
The party’s language is often vague, politically correct, or overly intellectual, making it hard for working- class voters to connect with Democratic policies.
5. Fear of Dissent Within the Party
Democrats are perceived as intolerant of internal debate, where questioning progressive orthodoxy results
in backlash rather than open discussion. Candidates and operatives need to feel more comfortable just
saying NO to activist groups and unpalatable far-left ideas.
6. Attachment to Unpopular Institutions
Democrats are seen as defending elite institutions (academia, media, government bureaucracy) while being critical of institutions working-class people value (churches, small businesses, police).
7. Allowing the Far Left to Define the Party
Activist groups and progressive staffers push unpopular cultural positions, making it seem like Democrats are more extreme than they actually are. Operatives and campaigns must remember that activist groups exist to promote their single issue and raise money around it, not to make Democrats electable.
8. Reactionary Rather Than Proactive
Democrats often let Republicans set the terms of cultural debates (e.g., crime, immigration) instead of clearly defining their own positions in a way that resonates with voters.
9. Overreliance on Buzzwords & Political Correctness
Terms like "pregnant people" and "Latinx" alienate working-class voters who see them as out of touch with real-world terms and vocabulary.
10. Lack of a Positive National Identity Message
Democrats focus too much on America’s flaws (racism, sexism, inequality) without acknowledging the country’s progress and potential, making them seem pessimistic and unpatriotic.
I would say many of these take aways are true in perception — but not true in fact. This is the framing of Democrats as the GOP would have it, not how it actually is.
Item #8 fully acknowledges this fact. Democrats often let Republicans set the terms of debate. That is absolutely true, the GOP often sets the narrative with lies and distortions. I don’t believe the solution to that starts with wrongly accepting their framing.
But Democrats absolutely do need to address new social media strategies to get their messages out.
Both Democrats and Republicans have experimented with utilizing social media platforms in their campaigning, but even Democrats acknowledge that Republicans are 'dominating' online spaces.
“I think TV is now going to the wayside in the new frontier of politics and social media and Trump dominates on social media, and so now he's dominating the political space,” Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) told the Washington Examiner. “I think we’ve got to do the same thing.”
Furthermore, young Democratic members recognize the massive influence social media has on politics and campaigns.
“It's clear that if we want to get our message out there, we've got to engage with the new media and the new attention economy,” Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) told the Washington Examiner. “So I think, frankly, both parties are just engaging in the reality of today now.”
Democrats are “seen” as too focused on minorities (Blacks, Latinos, Muslims, Immigrants, LGBTQ) who are often the targets of isolation and marginalization. The GOP paints the middle class (which means Whites) as the poor victims of unfair benefits granted through DEI (Blacks, Latinos, LGBTQ), and Immigration policy (Muslims, Immigrants) that aren’t deserved which are often championed by progressive Dems.
But it went further with this complaint, suggesting solutions that would turn Democrats into Repubiicans-Lite.
Takeaways on Why Democrats Are Not Trusted by the Working Class on the Economy
1. Vilification of Wealth
Democrats are seen as hostile to success, indifferent to people’s desire to attain wealth, while reflexively attacking wealthy business leaders instead of promoting economic mobility and aspiration.
2. Disconnected Messaging
Democrats focus on broad economic indicators instead of acknowledging real struggles like high prices and stagnant wages, making voters feel dismissed and unheard.
3. No Clear Economic Vision
Democrats lack a cohesive, inspiring economic agenda and often present a laundry list of policies rather than a unifying vision.
4. Over-Prioritization of Social Issues
Economic policy is often framed through the lens of identity politics rather than broad-based prosperity, making working-class voters feel overlooked.
5. Perceived Government Overreach
Voters see Democrats as favoring excessive regulations, inefficient spending, and programs that don’t directly benefit them.
6. Failure to Own Mistakes
Democrats defend flawed policies and institutions instead of acknowledging failures and committing to reforms that would improve economic trust.
7. Republicans as the "Aspirational" Party
GOP messaging suggests they want voters to be rich, while Democrats are seen as focusing on redistribution rather than wealth creation.
8. Climate Policy Viewed as Anti-Growth
The emphasis on climate change is seen as harming job opportunities and economic growth, especially in working-class communities.
9. The Break Room vs. the Board Room
Democratic economic messages often come from elites, celebrities, and politicians rather than working-class voices that voters can relate to.
10. Failure to Address Economic Anxiety
Voters believe Democrats care more about the very poor than the struggling middle class and fail to provide a clear path to economic security. Voters often believe they are wealthier than the people Democrats talk about.
I don’t believe that the solution to Democrats’ problems are to merely become junior Republicans — however, there can be a shift in messaging that could solve many of these problems.
Democrats are not “hostile to success”, we are hostile to rapacious predatory excess. But there’s nothing wrong with people getting ahead, building a business, buying a home and a life that allows them a portion of the American dream.
And if you look at the policies that have been promoted by Democrats we have made strong progress to implement that vision. We support Unions, we supported higher wages, we support stronger benefits and cheaper healthcare, we support entrepreneurs, we support student loan reform which can help people get ahead economically, we support lower drug prices and energy prices, we support parental leave and subsidized child support to help families thrive, we support efforts to curb greedflation, we support middle-class tax cuts for struggling families, we implemented the Infrastructure Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that allowed thousands of small construction businesses and farms to obtain valuable contracts. All of these efforts benefit the middle class regardless of “identity.” We've already done more for them than the GOP would ever dream of.
Many MAGA farmers are finding out just how valuable we’ve been as DOGE and MAGA has indiscriminately canceled those contracts placing them in danger of losing their farms.
So you mean to say that Democrats were helping farmers? In Red States?
Yes.
The entire federal workforce only uses 4% of the budget, so literally firing everyone wouldn’t make even a dent in the deficit. And it’s not like that savings would then be granted back to the public, certainly not as DOGE Benefits.
If Musk’s target of $2 trillion in spending cuts is achieved by next year, supporters of the idea say that about one-fifth of those funds could be distributed to taxpaying households in checks of about $5,000.
But before you start planning for a windfall, budget experts say such huge savings — nearly one-third of the federal government’s annual spending — are highly unlikely. And sending out a round of checks — similar to the stimulus payments distributed by Trump and then President Joe Biden during the pandemic — could fuel inflation, economists warn, though White House officials dismiss that concern.
With the annual budget deficit at $1.8 trillion last year and Trump proposing extensive tax cuts, there will also be significant pressure to use all the savings to reduce that deficit, rather than pass on part of it.
Is that $5000 DOGE check going to cover the cost of losing Medicaid, SNAP, child care, your clinical cancer trial and yet another Airplane crash? Will it replace the job you lost because the Infrastructure and CHIPs bill contract was cancelled?
And that’s on top of the House proposal to increase the deficit by $4.5 Trillion with additional tax cuts for the rich, and even with their proposed $2 Trillion in cuts — the deficit is still increased by 2.5 Trillion.
No Republican President has had a balanced budget since Eisenhower, but Bill Clinton managed to do it by mildly increasing taxes on the rich while doing it entirely with the sole support of Democrats and Al Gore presenting the tie-breaking final vote. Republicans had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Seriously, does it really look like the GOP is looking out for the working class here?
We’ve seen this again and again as DOGE deconstructs Democratic priorities which has been having a devastating impact on the working and middle-class, particularly in Red States that depend heavily on Medicaid and SNAP.
Red States have higher rates of infant mortality and maternal mortality, while the GOP efforts against reproductive choice are makng both of the problems even worse.
In two new papers, researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and colleagues estimate that abortion bans in 14 states resulted in 22,180 additional live births and 478 additional infant deaths above what would have been expected in the absence of these bans.
Texas imposed what was then the country’s most stringent abortion ban on September 1, 2021. Additional states have enacted abortion bans since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in its landmark Dobbs decision in June 2022. The researchers limited their analysis to the first 14 states that imposed a complete or six-week abortion ban to allow enough time for outcomes and impacts to emerge.
The findings, published online February 13 in JAMA, reveal unequal impacts of abortion bans across and within the 14 states and among subgroups—most of which already experience worse maternal and child health outcomes.
[...]
In their new analysis, the researchers estimate that infant deaths were 5.6% higher than they would have been in the 14 states with abortion bans had the bans not been enacted, resulting in an estimated 478 additional deaths. Most of these–384–were in Texas, which enacted an abortion ban nearly a year ahead of other states.
Additional key findings in the 14 states with bans show:
- Black infants died at a rate 11.0% higher than would be expected, equivalent to 265 additional infant deaths, or a 1.15 increase in the death rate per 1,000 live births—10.66 expected per 1,000 versus 11.81 observed.
- The infant mortality rate due to congenital anomalies increased 10.9%, from 1.24 infant deaths expected per 1,000 versus 1.37 per 1,000 observed.
- The infant mortality rate not due to congenital anomalies increased 4.2% from 4.69 infant deaths expected per 1,000 to 4.89 observed.
If you truly are “Pro-Life” is this what you want — more children and mothers dying while the rate of abortions mildly increases?
Could Democrats reframe our efforts as being far more about creating broad-based economic prosperity?
Sure.
We could point out the problems faced by marginalized communities are the same issues faced by many others, including women, veterans and disabled persons (who are, in fact, the primary beneficiaries of DEI policy).
We aren’t the ones who’ve been ignoring the middle class — the GOP has nothing to offer them but empty promises, envy and resentment. Cutting USAID is not going to help them pay for groceries. Cutting the FAA, the USDA, and NIH isn’t going to bring down interest rates. Cutting the EPA isn’t going to make doing business easier unless you’re idea of business is to dump toxins and poisons into the environment.
How exactly does that help the middle class?
When it comes to predatory business practices that rob the middle class with unreasonable banking fees, or the failure to provide refunds when flights are cancelled — is the GOP out there fighting to prevent that?
Fuck no.
We could talk about all this a whole lot more, but we don’t have to start adapting false GOP talking points.
This is what my friend Bring the Lions thought of it.
So in 2024 a bunch of voters said that the Democrats were "too focused" on "marginal" issues like trans kids and not enough on economic ones. This is completely false, of course. You can only come to that conclusion if your exposure to "information" is limited to ads against the Democrats and right wing propaganda.
Centrist Democrats think they're being pragmatic in this fashion, but they have it completely backwards. Yes, we don't have a media machine to counter the right's lies and bigotry, but here's what I would say if I was an elected Democrat-
"We're the ones that are trying to raise the minimum wage, extend health care coverage, lower drug prices, and find ways to cover care for your aging parents. We're the only ones even trying. The other guys are not only not trying, they are constantly and consistently voting against all these things every time. If you want and need help with the things I mentioned- and others- your only chance is with the Democrats.
The same thing that has us working to raise wages, lower drug prices, and give you real health care coverage has us looking to protect trans kids. I know a bunch of you think it's a marginal issue. But it's not for those kids and those families. And it's all part of the same story- taking care of each other. Whether it's lowering drug prices, helping make more affordable housing, or protecting trans kids.
I already know that some of you would prefer to have a choice that lowers drug prices and the rest without helping trans kids or drag queens. We all know that. But here's the deal- those "marginal" groups are part of the overall mission. We're not abandoning them because they make some of you uncomfortable. In fact, a big reason we have to stick with them is precisely because some of you are uncomfortable. These are people that need help like you. The other side thinks they are fodder to exploit, to distract you because they make you uncomfortable.
Well, that's exactly why the other side isn't helping you with drug prices or health care coverage or anything else. All they're offering is a chance to alleviate discomfort some of you have with these marginal groups by knocking them down. You can't be surprised that the people doing that aren't helping you with the issues you really care about.
That's the choice. If you really care about drug prices, health care coverage, and the rest of it, then your only option is the side and the people that are protecting trans kids. And if that is a dealbreaker for anyone, then drug prices and the rest of it aren't really the most important thing for you."
Yep.
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