The recent Pew Research polling highlights a rather curious trend within the Democratic Party: the rising influence of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Nearly a third of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters view Democratic Socialists favorably, but that warm and fuzzy feeling isn’t exactly universal. There’s a significant chunk of moderate and conservative Democrats—as well as Black Southern Democrats—who think this movement isn’t the magical political elixir the country needs. Yet, here’s the kicker: DSA candidates are winning, but only in those districts where the term “deep blue” would barely describe how left-leaning they are.
Karl Rove, a former deputy chief of staff to George W. Bush, pointed out the obvious with a metaphorical whiteboard and a bit of sarcasm. He noted that the Democratic Socialists are securing victories in areas where, let’s be honest, voting anything but Democrat would seem astonishing. Take New York’s districts, for example, where former President Donald Trump’s percentage of the vote was as low as the teens. Though these victories seem significant in these deep blue zones, the real challenge looms on the horizon – can they replicate this success in swing districts?
Rove highlighted the difficulty Democratic Socialists might face in these more contested districts, like Colorado’s 8th, because these areas do, in fact, have voters who think “Democratic Socialist” is just a fancy way of saying “not another tax increase, please.” It’s one thing to win hearts in New York’s liberal bastions; it’s another to convince suburban Denver folks that a socialist agenda aligns with their interests. It seems political success here would be the equivalent of pigs flying.
But the rise in Democratic Socialist numbers isn’t to be ignored. With 28 primary wins under their belt – enough to fill a major league baseball team roster, if not an All-Star lineup – their presence in the Democratic Party could start to shift the narrative and agenda. This could spell trouble for establishment Democrats, who might soon find themselves in a caucus that’s about as cohesive as oil and water. Picture the chaos a group of determined Socialists could create. Maybe Bernie Sanders can loan them his mittens to keep warm during those future chilly party discussions.
One angle that defies the progressive narrative is the so-called diversity of the DSA. According to those pesky statistics, while some declare this movement to be a melting pot of working-class individuals, the membership makeup is starkly one-sided. A staggering 85% of the members are white and a significant chunk have advanced degrees and white-collar jobs. This seems less like a movement for the masses and more like a late-night college club meeting. Sure, they have some racially diverse faces to show, but when it comes to the grassroots level, the variety might seem more like a shy sprinkle than a colorful array.
Challenging times lie ahead for the Democratic Party. The DSA isn’t the Tea Party, and their differences with their parent party are more about ideology than methods. Meanwhile, the Republicans watch with bemusement, enjoying their popcorn as the Democrats figure out how to harmonize a choir whose singers might just be in entirely different music genres. If it looks like a motley crew, it just might be. In those southern strongholds where Black Democrats lean more traditional, convincing them to embrace socialism might be like trying to teach cats to bark.
