A poll from The New York Times and Ipsos recently found that the voters see the Democratic Party as prioritizing issues that are not priorities in their own lives. That view was only likely reinforced this weekend in the selection of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Democratic Party. The Democratic leadership doubled down on the very issues identified by the Times as leaving voters disassociated from the party. As someone raised in a liberal Democratic family in Chicago, the continued emphasis on identity politics and far-left policies is bizarre and baffling.
The New York Times published a story titled “Most Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities” that notes:
Asked to identify the Democratic Party’s most important priorities, Americans most often listed abortion, L.G.B.T.Q. rights and climate change, according to a poll from The New York Times and Ipsos conducted from Jan. 2 to 10.
The issues that people cited as most important to them personally were the economy and inflation, health care and immigration, the poll found. The kinds of social causes that progressive activists have championed in recent years ranked much lower.
That was evident from the start of the DNC election, highlighted appropriately by an MSNBC host.
Notably, Kamala Harris is reportedly consulting with Hillary Clinton on how to address her defeat. It was a telling turn since Clinton seemed to blame everyone from James Comey, self-hating women, Russians, Bernie Sanders, and misogynists for her defeat. That comes after many of us noted that Harris was re-running the same Clinton campaign with identity politics at the forefront and refusing to answer questions on key issues.
It appears that Harris is not the only one relying on the Clinton handbook for spinning defeat with more identity politics. At the outset, MSNBC host (and Washington Post writer) Jonathan Capehart asked who “believes that racism and misogyny played a role in Vice President Harris’s defeat.”
Every single candidate declared that the election was indeed the result, at least in significant part, of “racism and misogyny.” That included Marianne Williamson, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, DNC Vice Chair Ken Martin, Wisconsin Democrat party Chair Ben Wikler, former Bernie Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official Nate Snyder, and Newton, Massachusetts Democratic City Committee executive member Jason Paul.
Not one noted that Harris was an awful candidate who refused to do anything other than the most favorable, controlled interviews. Even James Carville (who predicted Harris would defeat Trump) had an increasingly rare moment of clarity after the election. Carville called for a moment of “honesty” and said “We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a Super Bowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. That’s what happened, okay?”He added that it would have helped to have a presidential candidate who could “actually complete a sentence.”
Even the outgoing DNC chair Jaime Harrison declared last week that it was a mistake to go with Harris and that they had a better chance just sticking with Joe Biden despite his obvious mental decline. That is brutal.
However, it went from bad to worse as critics lampooned the DNC as becoming a parody of itself from a singing pitch for Chair to an explanation of gender rules that left many perplexed.
The DNC then elected a chair in Ken Martin, the longtime leader of Minnesota’s far left Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, who demanded for Trump to be tried for treason after the Russian bounty controversy (which was contested by the Trump Administration).
They then added David Hogg, 24, as Vice Chair, a far left advocate who previously called on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished and for the defunding of police. Hogg’s selection is particularly curious after an election where immigration proved a major issue favoring the GOP. Hogg has also called the NRA a “terrorist organization.” His reason for the NRA designation? January 6th: “The NRA needs to be designated a terrorist organization for the role their supporters played in staging an insurrectionist coup.”
The Democratic Party has become a ship of fools. I previously worked Democratic campaigns from Ted Kennedy to Mo Udall to many Illinois candidates. The party was truly a party of the middle class with centrist values, including support for free speech. It cannot seem to break from identity politics as its primary focus and reason for being. Worse yet, it is “reimagining” the 2024 election in a way to keep reality within a comfort zone.
Many of us want to see a stronger and more centrist Democratic party. Yet, there is an irresistible impulse to push the same button despite every indication that it is a really bad idea:
The irony is that MSNBC’s host led this effort by asking every candidate to attribute the loss in part to racism and misogyny. The ratings of MSNBC and CNN cratered after the election and Fox routinely exceeds both networks combined in audience figures, including the coveted 25-54 demographic. Yet, Jonathan Capehart wanted to start with a group homage of identity politics. When everyone replied robotically in the affirmative, Capehart replied “That’s good, you all passed.”
Indeed, they did, but that was hardly the test.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
I read all the comments and thought how odd it was that so few had anything to do with Ken Martin and that Hogg kid from the Florida High school.
I really wanted to read some incisive thought-provoking commentary – there is nearly none —
My two cents: the GOP must be thrilled.
I’m enjoying the remaining Dims diving headlong into the tar pit with their near extinct party. They are batpoop crazy and most people (58%) know it and won’t vote for them again unless they are in deluded Blue states like mine.
Yea, Demos are dumb.
“Classic Trump: pick an unnecessary fight, create chaos, then back down and act like a hero. Canada announced its border plan in December. These tariffs were never needed — just another pointless stunt that hurt our economy for no reason.”
Amen. Trump is a moron. His followers are retards.
If Trump is a moron and his followers are retards – “Please Sir can I have More?”
Trump has done more in a few weeks that Biden in 4 years.
Yep, pissed off our closest allies. How dumb is that.
They’re actually glad probably ecstatic to have biden gone hoping for some order.
Trump has made defending America’s interests a priority. Americans kind of like it.
With friends like them who needs enemies?
LA is slowing down the rebuild. What chaos. I think if you built houses or Apts for them thed tear them up too.
Just read Biden misspent $236 Billion in 2023. If that was leadership then send me to the short bus!
Well, Biden actually did a great deal, but just about all of it to the great detriment of the American people. I don’t understand for the life of me how sane people with a modicum of common sense can root for Democrat rule as it’s currently constituted. It’s utterly destructive to the country certainly, and very likely to these misguided voters as well. Do they like inflation? Do they like being constantly lied to ? What about Kamala Harris is appealing to them?
ATS the tarrifs are on PAUSE. Trudeau can SAY whatever he wants. He is going to agree to DO what Trump wants in the next month or the Tarrifs are back.
Trump was clear what his objectives were – shutting our borders to Drugs, Terrorists and illegal immigrants, and EXPECTING that Canada and Mexico were going to SHARE responsibility for what occurs at our Common border – OR ELSE.
Mexico was always a more serious problem than Canada -= though Canada has had slowly GROWING border problems with the US since Trudeau took office.
Frankly Trump did Mexico a favor.
Theyt need to get some balls and confront their drug cartels or lose their country.
Trump is giving Sheinbaum a choice – take on the Cartels – with US help, or lose your economy.
Whether those of you on the left like it or not – this is a moment that was inevitable.
It is a MASSIVE national security problem to have a failed narco state on our southern Border.
Tarriffs and Tarriff threats are the LEAST painful way to address the problem.
Absent action NOW – some future US president – democrat or republican was likely to have to invade mexico.
That is not me speaking – that is numerous geopolitical analysts including some on the left.
Mexico has a very bright future – but ONLY if it can defeat its Drug Cartels.
With Canada the primary issue is Stopping and reversing them from heading in the wrong direction.
Canada – like Mexico is a national security trheat tot he US,
But it is a threat that is 10,000 times smaller than Mexico – but headed in the wrong direction.
Separately I think Trump enjoys greatly tweaking Trudeau. And Trudeau is only going to be around for Trump to tweak for a short time.
John Say,
Good analysis. Our leftist friends are just to dumb to see how Trump is getting what he promised accomplished. Another win for Trump.
# dems are out of ideas due to very limited intelligence. While trump is moving to secure borders the dems and others are talking about higher avocado’s prices and models beer? It’s national security at issue with an incredibly dangerous border where people are dying and abused.
The repubs will be providing for the other half. Very strange psychology of destruction. It’s beyond amazing. Tariffs make perfect sense if you understand what they are.
Such a tragedy.
Matt Walsh has a particularly sarcastic take on the DNC elections.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INZi9nS5Pk4
Dr. Quintessa kind of reminds me of the Carter Family, which is a compliment to her:
USAID, Transgender Opera in Columbia??? I could not find that yet, but I found this. One Fine Day, it ain’t.
I do not give a schiff whether adults are gay, Transdendered or whatever.
But this perfomance was horrible. The US government shoulf not be funding the arts PERIOD – but certainly not this crap.
Polanski is a rapist and should have gone to jail. But he is an absolutely fantastic director.
These people were crap.
Some kind of therapy session at pleasant manor?
Democrats will now collectively rail against the Federal Government b/c Trump is Chief Executive. Now it will permissible, nay, mandatory, to demonize the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches
They deserve to have a Zeta male like David Hogg
New CIA Director: Evidence Didn’t Support Brennan’s Explosive Trump-Russia Assessment
Though even Donald Trump’s harshest critics now concede he may not be the “Russian agent” they once speculated he was, the consensus among Washington’s elite remains that he’s a beneficiary of Kremlin skullduggery. This persistent belief springs from a January 2017 U.S. intelligence document crafted by the Obama administration, which classified the sourcing behind it at the highest levels.
https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2025/01/30/new_cia_director_evidence_didnt_support_brennans_explosive_trump-russia_assessment_1088238.html
Memo to Pam Bondi: give them hell
From your link:
Ratcliffe’s revelation undercuts the prevailing narrative that Putin has been meddling in U.S. elections to help Trump and to shape U.S. foreign policy, particularly as it pertains to the war in Ukraine. The Washington press corps, which essentially has staked its reputation on this narrative, continues to beat the drums.
The Atlantic, for instance, ran an article this month – and before Ratcliffe’s confirmation hearings – confidently assuming that even Trump’s “partisan” pick for the CIA would have to go along with the “unanimous, unclassified assessment on Russian election interference in 2016.”
“Ratcliffe has never said publicly whether he agrees with one of its key findings: that the Russians were trying to help Trump win,” wrote Atlantic staffer Shane Harris, who previously covered Russiagate for the Washington Post. “But his silence is telling.”
Of course, the new CIA director has since broken his silence and revealed information that is inconvenient for many in the media who still hold fast to the Trump-Russia storyline. Things could get more inconvenient as Obama-era intelligence is finally declassified.
From the very first hints from the media about this Putin loves Trump garbage anyone with two brain cells could tell it was Garbage.
Hillaries Platform was Make Russia Great at the expense of the US.
Trump’s was Make America Great at the expense of Russia.
It does not take a rocket scientists to know which candidate Putin favored.
Given the recent revelations I wonder if USAID money somehow found its way into the war chests of ANTIFA and BLM here and in Europe.
It’s looking more probable than not this evening. It seems like USDA was staffed with Capone and Goebbels wannabes.
Does the USDA writ include authority to burn down American cities?
I think I read somewhere that u.S.A. ID had a contengency plan to parachute Air Jordan’s into potential riot zones in the U.S. Thus keeping away the arsonists from all the buildings of the downtown areas.
Cheap shot Floyd
You’re better than that aren’t ya?
Nope.
I think I read somewhere that u.S.A. ID had a contengency plan to parachute Air Jordan’s into potential riot zones in the U.S. Thus keeping away the arsonists from all the buildings of the downtown areas.
Good one and on point.
Y’all be racccccists…
Speaking of raccccists – as I get older, my memories of things further back in time seem to crop up more often. The most virulent racist I ever met, someone who would make a Klansman blush, was an older lady, who had been in a concentration camp during WWII. I always thought that odd. She was one of my clients, and a very prim and proper older lady, but whew!
Just get Government out of this nonsense completely.
While Musk is having fun with USAID – aparently only about 10% of their funding went to actual foreign receipients.
There is a separate debate over that. 90% of their funding was really just graft in the US – sinecures for left wing nuts.
The wolrd sent over $1T in aide to Africa over the past 40 years, and Africa has NOTHING to show for it.
There is excellent analysis of Global Aide to impoversihed countries done by develeopmental economist William Easterly – Before Trump descended the escalator. Foreign Aide near universally makes things in the countries we send it to WORSE.
Yes, and guns should never be sent nor money to purchase them.
Gee, I wonder if any USAID money will make it into Musks hands. He seems to have thrown Twitter to the dumpster, there goes $40 billion. And he is now in the process of throwing TSLA into the dumpster, oh well, what is $200 billion among friends. But hey, he now has access to unlimited money.
Concerned? You sure as hell should be. Its your money he is taking.