Editors’ Notes
We observed more commentary on the right about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) than on the left. This tracks because socialism is not seen favorably by most Americans, so linking the Democrats to socialism will likely favor Republicans. Democrats are caught in the middle, not wanting to alienate moderates in their base, but also not yet willing to denounce the socialist members that have recently swept elections in New York City.
News about the DSA
On Tuesday the DSA launched a new program that reportedly calls for unrestricted migration and noncitizen voting, elimination of the US Senate, and defunding of the Department of War. The DSA platform currently calls for establishing Medicare, college and housing for all, and ending the war on drugs, mass incarceration and police brutality; taxing the rich, bolstering unions, establishing a 32-hour work week, and implementing the Green New Deal; “freeing" Palestine, ending US-promoted wars and "economic warfare," and opening borders; establishing universal suffrage and a popular vote for president, reducing Supreme Court power, and reforming Congress.
DSA candidates recently won Democratic primaries for the US House of Representatives in Philadelphia, Denver, and New York City — in the last case, helped by fellow member and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Analysis and Opinions about the DSA
Voices the right and some on the left opposed the rise of the DSA, though those on the left encouraged the Democratic party to oppose the DSA from within, while the right often linked the Democrats and DSA, making the Democratic party seem extreme. Some on the left are socialists and made the case that its effect on the Democratic party would be good for Americans.
Robby Soave (Lean Right) wrote, “Affluent, native-born white and black people are just as likely, or by some measures, more likely to support left-wing politics than many categories of immigrants, particularly Hispanic immigrants. If right-wing immigration hardliners had their way and restricted citizenship to just people who can trace their lineage back to colonial times, we would be no safer from socialism. In fact, the category most likely to support socialist policies is the highly educated. The democratic socialists like to stress that their movement is populist and working class, though their adherents are disproportionately rich and credentialed. It remains to be seen whether this kind of politics can be successful outside of select enclaves in New York City; for now, the DSA remains an elite phenomenon.”
A writer in Jacobin (Left) pushed back, saying, “As impressive as some of its victories have been, DSA will need to expand its social base if it’s going to win at a bigger scale. But in the strong form presented by critics like Edsall, Soave, and Ungar-Sargon, the attack makes very little sense. Their definition of the working class is far too narrow, and they miss the real class dynamics at play in DSA’s growth…None of these articles bother to explain what the authors mean by ‘the working class.’…Socialists, though, have typically understood it as a relationship to the core economic structure of our society. Class isn’t just a matter of what you have but what you have to do in order to get what you have. In the traditional socialist definition, the working class is the part of capitalist society that relies on wages to get by.”
In The Hill (Center) a writer argued, “The irony is that as MAGA rebelled against a destructive government that was not working, the Democratic Socialists are doing the same but for different reasons. However, their group has created a grave vulnerability. The word “socialist” is not seen as favorable to most Americans. “Communism” is far worse. Republicans already are labelling Democrats as communists. That could hurt if the allegation goes viral, even though it is neither applicable nor correct…The sad reality is that MAGA and the Democratic Socialists of America have the same provenance: destructive government.”
A Washington Post Opinion (Lean Left) said, “But the DSA’s most dangerous threat is its commitment to hollowing out the Democratic Party from within. The DSA aims to primary Democrats in blue districts and replace them with ideological zealots…Now is the moment to fight the DSA. Mainstream Democrats must emphasize that they are not a radical, socialist party and will not become one. And they must back that sentiment with money, organization and spine…Mainstream Democrats must rally to this cause. If they don’t, the consequences — for the party and the country — will be catastrophic.”
