The post-election debate is now in full flower, with left-wing and centrist Democrats blaming each other for the loss. The selection of Kamala Harris, a woman of Black and South Asian ancestry as the nominee, may have accentuated the perception of the Democratic Party as more progressive on race and gender and made some voters feel alienated or concerned about the direction of the party.
The ascendance within the Democratic Party of well-educated whites holding very liberal views has in fact pushed the party to the left of the mainstream. This intraparty ideological shift raises another question looking toward 2026 and 2028: Have the forces supporting unpopular progressive policies in the general electorate become strong enough to successfully push back against the calls coming from Democratic pragmatists for centrist retrenchment on such issues as immigration, policing and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion?
The data shows Democrats taking a sharp turn leftward on social issues over the past decade. This has distanced them from the median voter. We see this not only in Democratic voters' self-reported ideology, but in their views on issues including immigration and whether or not the government should take a more active role in promoting diversity.
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