Perry Bacon

“Moderate Democratic voters are not centrists clamoring for a return to the Clinton era or rebukes of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders.”

Those are the Democratic consultants pushing for that.

Guess What Moderate Democratic Voters Aren’t Anymore? Moderate. Two new polls suggest that moderate Democrats too want higher taxes on the rich and some measure of economic populism. Moderate isn’t what it was in 1992.

"What this data suggests is that moderate Democratic voters are fully in line with the growing economic populism in the party and actually want more of it. And on social issues, they aren’t as worried...as many centrist pundits are." From @perrybaconjr.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2074...

Guess What Moderate Democratic Voters Aren’t Anymore? Moderate. Two new polls suggest that moderate Democrats, too, want higher taxes on the rich and some measure of economic populism. Moderate isn’t what it was in 1992.

What makes a Democrat call themselves moderate may be about demographics (African-Americans, people without four-year degrees) more than policy positions. This bloc is not a bunch of Bloomberg types trying to stop economic populism. newrepublic.com/article/2074...

Guess What Moderate Democratic Voters Aren’t Anymore? Moderate. Two new polls suggest that moderate Democrats, too, want higher taxes on the rich and some measure of economic populism. Moderate isn’t what it was in 1992.

Moderate Democrats with columns in newspapers are constantly saying the Democratic Party is way too liberal on "social" issues. Moderate Democratic voters in real life do not feel this way. With some polling data from @gelliottmorris.com and @dataforprogress.org. newrepublic.com/article/2074...

Guess What Moderate Democratic Voters Aren’t Anymore? Moderate. Two new polls suggest that moderate Democrats, too, want higher taxes on the rich and some measure of economic populism. Moderate isn’t what it was in 1992.

Third Way and other "moderate" Democratic groups and elites constantly bash progressive politicians and ideas. But moderate Democratic VOTERS really like raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations, Medicare-for-all, and Bernie Sanders. newrepublic.com/article/2074...

Just realized that with Abolish ICE at +11, it's polling over 30 percentage-points ahead of Trump approval. Guess that means if the media wants to be representative, it should give at least like 40% more airtime to people who support abolishing ICE to Trump supporters

She’s only doing this because she knows how toxic the vote has become, but that itself is significant.

But we don’t need senators who can apologize for bad votes a year late. We need senators who won’t take them.

No more illegal wars. Introduce a prevention of military intervention act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice.

The majority of people in this country do not want us to be involved in this war.

Keir Starmer of a few years ago wouldn't have supported this war.

The only reason he does now is he will do anything Donald Trump wants - and it makes us all less safe.

Eh. Again, ~90% of the reason it's all politics all the time is <gestures at the daily onslaught of lawless authoritarianism>. This is not a Bluesky problem. It's a society/polity problem. We will all go back to sh*tposting about TV, cocktails, sports, music, food, & puppies in the after-times.

“Eight months ago, Donald Trump lied to the country when he claimed U.S. air strikes had ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program. “Now Trump says he’s taken America to war for regime change in Iran. “Trump has launched this regime change war and put American forces at risk without presenting evidence of an imminent threat, without clear objectives, without having exhausted diplomacy, without a plan for the aftermath, and without the consent of Congress. “I oppose yet another regime change war-of-choice in the Middle East. Congress must convene immediately and pass a War Powers Resolution to assert our Constitutional authority over war and peace. “The President has presented no evidence that Iran or its nuclear program — which he falsely claimed to have ‘obliterated’ — pose an imminent threat to the United States, or that diplomacy was exhausted. Iran’s support for terrorism and uranium enrichment have long destabilized the region. But sending American forces into harm’s way should only ever be a last resort. “I pray for the safety of U.S. forces who have been ordered into battle and commend their extraordinary professionalism.”

Sen. Ossoff Statement on Iran.

How to stop a dictator I spent months studying how authoritarians like Trump lose. The answer is shockingly simple.

"For the United States to make it out of its own crisis, we need to take this lesson to heart: not marginalize discussion of Trump’s threat to democracy, but bring it to the fore," writes @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social. Great piece. www.vox.com/politics/479...

Overselling the Mississippi Miracle Southern poverty is a policy choice

‘Just go to college’–the Dems’ prescription for four decades–is losing out to ‘tax the rich’ as the populist wing of the Democratic Party ascends. These shifting tides have prompted a furious backlash from centrists," writes @jenniferberkshire.bsky.social. educationwars.substack.com/p/oversellin...

As Trump builds up to attack Iran, the Dem establishment—again—shows its support with silence Feigned helplessness, process criticism, no public statements or editorials: Liberal elites continue to let Trump do their dirty work for them.

"When it comes to militarism, especially militarism that serves Israel, Dem leadership and liberal institutions are growing further from their base. The two most powerful Dems in Congress are much closer to AIPAC’s position than that of their own voters." therealnews.com/trump-iran-d...

Trump’s Reckless Decision to Pursue Regime Change in Iran And the risks Democrats face if they fail to strongly oppose his war.

"There are multiple arguments that Democrats need to be making, including the fact that he’s acting illegally, and the fact that he’s acting strategically stupidly. So make all of those arguments. Don’t just ask for a briefing," says @mattduss.bsky.social. www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

Trump’s Reckless Decision to Pursue Regime Change in Iran And the risks Democrats face if they fail to strongly oppose his war.

"It seems like Israel’s regional security doctrine, now backed by the United States, is not just that Israel has the right to defend itself but that only Israel has the right to defend itself in the region," says @mattduss.bsky.social. www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...

Wanna know why I didn't care about his special little speech in front of the billionaires? Because he didn't mean a fucking word of it.

I, for one, am looking forward now to the commentary from Ezra Douthglesias & the takes from the Editorial Boards about how the GOP has veered too far from the political center, is denying reality, has become distracted from crucial issues, & is not offering moderate, unifying policy solutions

🤔🧐🤦‍♂️

Americans do not want this. They do not want another war in pursuit of regime change. They want relief from the affordability crisis. They want peace.

Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war.

Exactly. Not cowardice. Agreement.

This statement is appallingly bad--like, the administration *illegally bombed a school.* It's mind-boggling to me for this to be the reaction from a human, much less a purported leader of the Democratic Party. I need a new senator stat

The U.S. Senate must be clear: no war with Iran.

See, it's easy to denounce this straight up instead of politely asking the administration to pretty please give the American people an explanation when they have a sec

Mamdani blasts Trump administration’s 'catastrophic’ and ‘illegal’ strikes in Iran The mayor’s forceful condemnation comes just two days after he had a “productive” meeting with Trump at the White House.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the U.S. military strikes on Iran, stress-testing his increasingly productive working relationship with President Donald Trump

Strong, clear. I am pleasantly surprised.

This is <exactly> why I never want to hear from James Carville ever again about the "faculty lounge." It feeds the far right authoritarian lies & the Herrenvolk democracy nonsense. No Democrat (or democrat) should use that language when discussing professors or universities ever again. Full stop.

Very smart on her part. Kamala 2028 is probably gonna follow the same primary plan as Joe Biden, Andrew Cuomo, Eric Adams, Brandon Johnson runoff, and Cherelle Parker with "I am going to get Assad numbers with Black voters, try to fight to a draw with every other race, good luck beating me"

Paramount should enjoy its growing news monopoly while they have it because when Democrats win back power we are going to break up these anti-democratic information conglomerates. All of them.

Starmer sucks.

Relatedly, the Harris campaign constantly sought the input of... Starmer's team.

The abject poverty of Ezra Douthglesias’ political strategy for the center-left of Just Doing An Abundance Of Moderate Popularism is a cross-national phenomenon: