After the loss in 2024, it seemed clear that Democrats had gone too far on some of their wokeness and social justice issues. But here we are a little over a year later and Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders and AOC are all still really popular. Some in California are trying to pass a wealth tax and it really seems like the Democratic Socialists have benefitted from the rejection of woke Democrats.
I try to avoid making big predictions because real life is often way too complicated to predict, but this NY Times focus group featuring 13 Democrats makes it pretty clear that woke populism is now the thing that voters want.
Amid major debates among activists, pundits and elected officials about what direction the party should take, Times Opinion assembled 13 Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters to ask how the party is handling the moment, what changes and reprioritizations they want to see, and what kinds of Democrats are standing out...
In particular, they wanted candidates who were young, progressive and from a more modest or working-class background, with clear and simple messages. And as for the Democrats who are standing out to these people (Jasmine Crockett, Pete Buttigieg, Zohran Mamdani, Gavin Newsom), many of them are the ones who’ve made a point of appearing in combative media environments.
The whole first part of the interview is about how much they all hate Trump. Immigration and ICE are a big part of it, not surprisingly, because the media has made sure that's the top issue in the news for the past few months. Candy is a 46 y.o. Latina from Nevada.
I know people who are immigrants. So just what’s going on with immigration, and even myself being a U.S. citizen, I’m concerned about getting pulled over and shot and killed, or one of my family members is going to get discriminated against. I’m scared to leave my home. I already work at home; now I feel like I have to stay here because I’m so scared.
Denise is also Latina and lives in Georgia:
Yeah, I just feel we’re at the point right now that we’re being treated like animals. I’m Puerto Rican, and I speak full Spanish. So sometimes I’m scared to go out and speak my native language.
But as much as they hate and fear Trump, they are also disgusted with the Democratic Party. Asked for one word to describe the party they came up with: Spineless, paralyzed, afraid, incompetent and complacent.
Asked to name a Democrat who does inspire them, they name the socialists and DSA members.
Zohran Mamdani. Clear, concise messaging. It’s exactly what everybody wants. It helps everybody. It’s the perfect messaging because it’s clear and concise, unlike Democrats. Just like Bernie. Bernie has said the same thing since the ’80s. You’ve got to tax the billionaires. You’ve got to tax the upper class.
Two more of the 13 people just said they agreed with that take. And of course AOC got a mention.
I still don’t agree with everything she’s doing, but Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a well-known name and seems to be fighting against Trump.
Newsom and Pritzker get some love.
Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker. They’re speaking out strongly against Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The Democratic Party, its members don’t lack conviction, but their messaging is terrible.
Asked to choose between a generic moderate or a generic progressive, all 13 Democrats in this focus group chose progressive. Another thing they all agree on, they want someone who will "fight dirty."
When Michelle Obama said “when they go low, we go high” — that’s not working now. You can’t do that anymore.
And another:
Yeah, going high when they go low, it’s just not working anymore.
And another:
I’m going to echo what Christian was saying. it is time to dig in and fight dirty.
Fight dirty and be socialist.
Run candidates that make your wealthy donors nervous.
Anyway, that's my takeaway from this focus group. Democrats seem to have completely forgotten about 2024 and are now eager to fight dirty and tax the billionaires. They want someone who talks like Bernie or Mamdani and fights like Newsom.
I have little doubt that approach could win a primary but whether or not it can win a presidential primary is another matter. Things that look easy in New York City or California don't always work out on the national stage.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Hot Air's conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Hot Air VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member