"Immediately following the 2024 presidential election, Democrats seemed to be in rare agreement: They had moved too far to the left on cultural issues, and it had cost them. The day after Kamala Harris lost to Donald Trump, for example, Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts told The New York Times, "I have two little girls, I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I'm supposed to be afraid to say that.""
"In fact, in the ensuing 10 months, the floodgates have mostly stayed closed. With a few exceptions-notably California Governor Gavin Newsom and, less notably, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who hasn't won an election since 2015-Democrats have avoided making comments similar to Moulton's, whether regarding trans athletes or other high-profile social issues on which the party is vulnerable, such as immigration and climate."
"This is a sign of a strange dynamic that has emerged in Democratic politics. Many pundits, strategists, and even elected officials recognize that the party has weakened itself by being out of touch, or at least perceived to be out of touch, on cultural issues. As Representative Ritchie Torres of New York told Time in May, "We swung the pendulum too far to the left.""
Democrats acknowledged that moving left on cultural issues hurt electoral prospects after the 2024 loss. Some figures, like Seth Moulton, voiced concerns about trans athletes and cultural moderation, but few leaders publicly followed suit. Only a handful, including Gavin Newsom and Rahm Emanuel, broke with activist orthodoxy. Party insiders concede a perception of being out of touch on immigration, climate, and social issues, yet most have not adopted substantive rightward policy shifts. Ritchie Torres described a pendulum swung too far left, but his post‑election stance only limited opposition to deportations rather than marking a broad ideological realignment.
Read at The Atlantic
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