By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Despite the recurring call for moderation in Democratic campaigns, a review of the 2024 swing seat advertisements reveals that Democrats already campaigned largely as moderates, focusing on border security, police funding, and bipartisan efforts. These campaigns, heavily emphasizing law enforcement endorsements and moderate stances, saw little movement in voter coalitions. The author suggests that the problem may be larger than message, and that simple solutions like moderation are insufficient, as the challenges may be rooted in deeper issues of political identity and shifting emotional landscapes. The example of Keir Starmer’s campaign in the UK serves as a cautionary tale, demonstrating that even a moderate approach can be overshadowed by populist movements in a culture war-driven environment.
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Democrats Are Already “Moderate.” It’s Not Working.
It’s a recurring theme, isn’t it? Democrats are constantly told to meet in the middle, to be “moderate,” to appease a Republican Party that seems to be veering further and further to the right. The frustration is palpable. The desire for a political home, a place where progressive voters can truly feel represented, is a powerful yearning, but it feels like the moderates and centrists have created a party that is more of a cage. They’ve been accused of undermining the party, and some people blame them for the rise of figures like Trump. The argument is that their focus on appeasing moderate donors and a rightward-moving electorate led to policies that damaged the working and middle classes, opening the door for the populist anger that fueled Trump’s ascent. It’s a straight line from there.
The sentiment is, the party needs someone with charisma, vision, and the will to actually enact change. It’s not about being a “cowering milk toast.” FDR, even though imperfect, understood that the only way to save capitalism was to restrain it. The current strategy, to move towards the middle, isn’t working.
It’s true, right? Republicans can seemingly drift further and further to the right, and it barely registers as a blip. But Democrats, they’re always expected to stay in the center. You see it in the way they’re perceived: moderates waving rainbow flags for show while supporting a corporate hellscape and a broken healthcare system. That doesn’t cut it. Many feel the party needs to shift left, economically, if not also socially, to really meet the needs of the people they claim to represent. This means acting on the data, listening to constituents, and not pandering to billionaires. The DNC needs a fundamental shift, not just a tactical one. Some think it starts with leadership, that the current leaders of the Democratic Senate need to step aside.
It’s not just about finding a middle ground. It’s about winning elections. Americans didn’t vote for the status quo or trickle-down economics, they voted for change. Some might argue that Bernie Sanders offered the antidote to Trump in 2016, and it was because he spoke to the anger many Americans felt. Then, after Clinton won, many Bernie voters moved to the right and went with Trump. It is undeniable that the Democrats have to represent the antidote, and they’re not doing it. It’s a problem when Democrats are perceived as being ineffectual at best and out of touch at worst. It’s a problem when people perceive the opposing party to be in control, even if the policies don’t reflect the will of the majority.
Some of the evidence shows that a more radical left candidate is not winning in Texas, or in Ohio, and the moderates are winning those elections. Some will say that it is a numbers game, not an ideological one, and you need to win elections.
The argument is that centrism is the real poison. They’re not about ideals, but about finding a midpoint. It doesn’t matter what the issue is, the centrist wants the middle ground. The core problem isn’t moderation, it’s a lack of conviction, a lack of core beliefs. And the more people are exposed to disinformation, the more this problem will continue to plague the nation.
If you look at the behavior of the elected Democrats, some are saying that even their policies are not left, but conservative. Pro-capitalist, pro-industry, happy to use tax dollars to line the pockets of the wealthy instead of helping those most in need. They are also hawkish and favor foreign policies that continue the march towards an empire.
The problem is, moderates turn out to vote, and are a crucial part of what keeps Democrats winning. The far left can be its own worst enemy when it comes to wielding power, by alienating the voters they need to achieve any actual influence. Some feel that a fundamental restructuring is needed within the Democratic party. But that’s easier said than done. They are still running into the same problems.
The problem might be that the people in charge are still traumatized by the political blowouts that happened in the past. The conservatives have concentrated the wealth over a long period of time. They’ve chipped away at the middle class. The public hasn’t even noticed it. And the people who need help the most can’t see any change.
They may need to go with someone that the public falls in love with, as it seems to be the only way that Democrats get the White House.