By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Despite decisively losing the Democratic primary, former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to continue contesting the race for New York City mayor, employing a poorly received social media campaign. Cuomo’s third-party run against the Democratic nominee is notable due to the lack of support from prominent centrist Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, as well as criticisms from other notable Democrats such as Kirsten Gillibrand and Dean Phillips. While these detractors are unlikely to impact the election results, their actions highlight a trend: the Democratic Party’s centrist establishment, rather than its progressive wing, appears most willing to undermine party unity.
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Centrist Democrats Are the Actual Traitors to Their Party | While progressives often get accused of undermining the Democratic Party, the evidence shows that it’s the moderate wing that most often violates the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” principle. The core issue here is the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” (VBNW) mantra, a phrase that demands unquestioning loyalty to the Democratic Party. However, the argument is that this principle is most often broken, not by the progressive wing, but by the centrist or moderate Democrats.
The crux of the matter lies in understanding the definition of “centrist” and how that plays out in the political arena. Often, those labeled as moderates are actually conservative, especially when compared to the progressive base of the party. While the Republican Party has shifted drastically to the right, some centrist Democrats maintain positions that are closer to the right than to the core values of the Democratic Party.
This divergence from the party’s values is where the accusation of “traitor” comes in. If the VBNW principle is the standard, then those who don’t fully align with the party’s goals, or who actively compromise with the opposition in ways that undermine the party’s agenda, could be considered to be breaking the unwritten rule. The problem gets amplified by the political realities of American politics, where compromise is a necessity. If the anchor point for compromise is in the center, policies tend to drift right. In this scenario, it’s seen that those centrist Democrats become the obstruction.
The article emphasizes that the “Vote Blue No Matter Who” mentality can often be taken advantage of by those who don’t necessarily share the core ideals of the party. The argument is that the centrists will only go so far, and that it is the progressive arm of the party that is willing to move forward. The progressives are, at least according to the article, the ones who are the most invested in the party’s principles and willing to fight for them.
Furthermore, the argument goes on to highlight that centrist Democrats may be more inclined to compromise with the opposing party, potentially sacrificing key policy goals or even supporting candidates that don’t fully represent the party’s ideals, all for the sake of compromise. Centrist Democrats might prioritize maintaining the status quo or appeasing wealthy donors.
The article also points to the need for a more fundamental shift in how the Democratic Party operates. There is a need for the party to be reshaped in the image of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other prominent progressives. This reshaping would involve a stronger focus on the needs of the people, rather than the desires of wealthy donors. The article claims that VBNW is a cult-like phrase.
There’s also a significant challenge of the two-party system itself. The two-party system makes it difficult for third-party candidates to gain traction, which forces voters to choose between two imperfect options. This leads to situations where voters are forced to choose between two undesirable candidates, or staying home on election night.
The article calls for a change in approach, urging for greater participation in the Democratic Party. Rather than criticizing the party from the outside, the call is to work within the system. The goal is to influence the choices that are available. If progressives want to see change, they must actively participate in the process, primary the establishment democrats, and build a strong base of support within the party.
The conclusion here is that infighting and finger-pointing, while perhaps cathartic, won’t move the needle. The real work is in the trenches, in the local DNC organizations, and in the electoral process.