Over in the Democratic camp, it seems like they’re brewing up quite a storm of their own. There’s talk of a civil war, and no, it’s not over who gets to sit where at the next national convention. The schism we’re witnessing is between the moderate Democrats and, brace yourselves, the rising far-left faction known as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Their agenda reads like a greatest hits compilation of failed socialist policies from around the globe, yet somehow, their numbers are rising faster than the national debt under liberal policies.
What’s unfolding is that Arizona’s four-term congressman, Greg Stanton, is being challenged by a Democratic socialist named Kai Newkirk. It sounds like a real showdown at high noon, but indoors and with air conditioning, because who wants to sweat over democracy, right? The stakes are high as DSA leaders, the socialist masterminds, are pretty open about how they want to reshape American politics. They’re proposing that the United States Senate is undemocratic — well, to be fair, hearing that never gets old.
Now, some folks over at the DSA seem to think landlords have it too good, cashing in on average 12% returns on investment. Apparently, in socialist circles, making a return on investment is akin to finding a unicorn riding a bicycle. Meanwhile, the rest of America might wonder if these socialists have ever tried living in the real world, where owning property isn’t exactly a one-way ticket to Scrooge McDuck’s money bin.
A longtime Democrat and Clinton administration veteran, Jamie Metzl, has come out swinging against these DSA darling policies. He claims that the Democratic Party really should be about helping all Americans. Instead, the DSA seems intent on throwing out police, prisons, and they might even start questioning gravity next. Metzl seems to worry that if the traditional Democrats do not take a stand, they might find themselves on the express route to irrelevance — a road he’s quite convinced leads straight to the demise of American values.
It’s hard not to notice that Bernie Sanders might require a few shoulders to cry on, given that veteran Democrats are busy blaming him for letting this whole socialist bandwagon roll into town. They argue that Bernie never claimed to be a true-blue Democrat but ran under the party’s banner regardless. Metzl and others insist that now, Sanders’ supporters are radically more energized than those “languorous liberals.” If there were a prize for enthusiasm in electoral politics, the DSA might just take home the gold.
The whole scenario presents an existential question for the Democratic Party: Do they want to be the party of mainstream values and call the fire department when the house is burning? Or do they want to stare at the flames, thinking what a great idea it would be to warm up some marshmallows with their new socialist best friends? In the end, the Democrats will have to decide if they’re keeping this tent’s flaps open to just about anyone or if it’s time they kick out the proverbial skunks. Either way, it makes for quite a spectacle. Whether it’s worthy of popcorn or a fire extinguisher is still up for debate.
