Many voices on the far-left, and the right, would have you believe that the Democratic Party is the party of democratic socialism. Between Senators Sanders and Warren, in addition to “the squad”, it is fact that there is a democratic-socialist element to the Democratic Party. But this element is not the party, and this truth is borne out in data.
First, elections. Sanders and Warren are two Democratic-Socialist senators. Let’s say there are five more senators who identify as democratic-socialist. At sevens senators, which is perhaps more than democratic-socialists have garnered, they are only 16% of the party. There are 45 democratic Senators, many from battleground states including Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Other red states, such as Arizona and Montana, have one democratic Senator, and these Senators are not democratic-socialists. There simply is no significant democratic-socialist presence in the senate.
The second piece of evidence is recent polling for presidential candidates. 34% is the sum total of poll support you get if you add Bernie and Warren. Moderate Democrats and centrists, on the other hand, are polling above that. Biden + Buttigieg alone is 36%, and adding other moderates like Bloomberg and Klobuchar, only pushes this margin further.
In addition to the raw data of the polls, it is also likely that the case that polls are skewed left, in comparison to the battleground states, because dark blue states like NY and CA are over-sampled with respect to the electoral college.
It is obvious why democratic-socialists want to push the narrative that they are taking over the Democratic Party, and that moderates are no longer in control. It is equally obvious why the right would push this narrative; they win if the Democratic Party is unelectable. Yet the American appetite for democratic-socialism is not evident.
It is obvious why democratic-socialists want to push the narrative that they are taking over the Democratic Party, and that moderates are no longer in control. It is equally obvious why the right would push this narrative; they win if the Democratic Party is unelectable.
Approved ~ TUS