One esteemed party leader reminded the assembled that “we lost” and suggested an “autopsy” to understand what went wrong; she was met with indignation. “What do you mean an ‘autopsy’? We’re not dead!”

 

While the party isn’t dead, its 2024 performance was poor—losing the White House and Senate. Polls show Democrats with their lowest favorability ratings in years.

 

Despite no official autopsy, recent press reports have included advice from “Democratic party operatives” on the party’s next moves and reports of studies analyzing their 2024 defeat. The emerging consensus view is that Democrats should move to the “center” and forego radical or “leftist” political ideas.

 

The problem with this assessment is twofold. First, these operatives and groups conducting studies (reportedly costing $30 million) are the same consultants who dug the Democrats’ current hole. They don’t understand the voters they lost or how to win them back. Second, their definitions of “center” and “left” are inventions to suit their own biases. Saying “We need to stop being so ‘woke,’ and focus on voters’ concerns” is insufficient—especially when they don’t understand voters’ concerns.

 

These same consultants have long argued that Democrats should move to “the center” of American politics—defined as an amalgam of conservative fiscal/economic policies and more liberal social policies. With this mish-mash of ideas and no coherent message, candidates under these consultants’ sway struggle to appeal to voters.

 

Pre-Trump, Republicans focused on the Reagan mantra “lower taxes, smaller government,” while Democrats, asked what they stood for, would recite a litany of issues (abortion, social justice, environment, immigration, guns, etc.), leaving voters to find the forest from the trees. Because Republicans’ policies threatened most voters’ economic well-being, they avoided the details, instead diverting voters’ attention by elevating and exaggerating Democrats’ stances on social issues. “Democrats want open borders…to abolish police…for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports.”

 

Republicans lay the trap, and Democrats take the bait, shifting focus to these issues instead of developing an overarching message to reach a majority of voters.

 

Twenty-five years ago, my brother John and I co-authored “What Ethnic Americans Really Think” based on polling he’d done measuring political attitudes of Italian, Arab, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, and African voters. Despite these communities’ deep differences, we found that their views converged on several issues.  Strong majorities in all groups, immigrants and US-born alike, were proud of and had emotional ties to their heritages, hometowns and family connections.

 

Contrary to the consultants’ “wisdom,” they overwhelmingly supported progressive economic/fiscal policies, with about 85-95 per cent wanting the federal government to: help underwrite health insurance; raise the minimum wage; impose penalties on polluters; oppose regressive taxes; strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and support public education. Large majorities also wanted campaign finance reform and gun control.

 

On social issues, their views were more nuanced. Smaller majorities supported the death penalty, limits on abortion, and school vouchers, and opposed racial hiring preferences.

 

So in reality, the “center” isn’t being more moderate on economic issues and more liberal on social issues because the economic/fiscal issues, supported by almost 9 in 10 voters, are the foundation for building a majoritarian party. At the same time, instead of locking out, demeaning, and refusing to engage voters with divergent views on social issues, Democrats need to respectfully discuss these issues within the party.

 

The “left” is not primarily defined by where you stand on social issues. Instead, Democrats must define themselves as those who understand government’s positive role in creating an economy with opportunities for working- and middle-class families—Black, Asian, Latino, and White ethnics. Failure to do so cedes ground to Republicans, who despite horribly regressive policies now claim to represent the working class and charge Democrats with representing elites.

 

Democrats shouldn’t abandon their commitment to social and cultural issues critical to our diverse democratic society. But these issues can’t define the party.  For Democrats to win, they must reclaim their history as the party of Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and, yes, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders—that believes in government’s role in lifting up those in need, and providing for the working and middle classes of all ethnic and racial communities.