Show Some Fight
Cavalry coming: feisty centrist Democrats show how to win the war from all sides
Biden was fired up at the State of the Union.
His compatriots on the center left have been showing some fight lately, too.
This vigor is much-needed, as centrist Democrats - you know, the ones who win elections - face a perpetual siege from all sides. The centrist Democrat is not only under attack from the right (by Republicans) and from the left (by irrational activists), but those in the center whose “both sides” approach drains moderate Democrats of precious resources.
While Biden took on GOP extremists in his address to Congress, counterattacks are under way against the other two threats: the No Labels third party effort, and Far Left protestors who cross the line - both physically and strategically.
We have a new piece out in CNN focused on the latter. In it, we highlight the viral video of a climate protestor attacking the US Senator who delivered Congress to Democrats - and then delivered the largest clean energy legislation in history. Joe Manchin showed some fire, and made a laughingstock of the protestors.
Similar extremist line-crossers faced pushback from a surprising source days later, when AOC confronted activists protesting her from the left by explaining “It’s f**ked up, man. It is not helping these people. You’re not helping them.”
Here’s a snippet from CNN on why Far Left activists are hurting the causes they purport to help:
These forces are not only sporadic volunteer activists but often professionals with a coherent strategy backed by megadonors and foundations. The explicit goal of the donor behind the group that “bird-dogged” Manchin, for example, is “not giving him any peace.”
These leftist disruptors and their congressional associates are winning some battles. But they will lose the war. There are two ways for disruptive progressive activists to lose: One is for them to be defeated within the party by more pragmatic Democrats. The other path is successfully changing the party brand or kicking moderates out of the party, which would cause the Democratic Party – the standard bearer for issues such as welcoming immigration and acting on the climate – to lose.
Appeasing the angry, extremist left has been a major mistake for Democrats – both morally and electorally. Too many in the party simply accept it. But mainstream Democrats can fight back and win elections in the process.
There is still time for other Democrats to push back. It may not save the Senate, but it can stem losses. The party’s leader, President Joe Biden, seems to be fearful of the activist left – so much so that his campaign is avoiding college campuses and talking about clearly popular things like the record energy production that polls show voters like but his administration intentionally downplays.
Biden got feisty in his speech, but did not complete our Tic Tac Toe board of popular accomplishments (like record energy production) that voters like, but offend the loudest activists. There are important fights to be had to win the middle.
Won’t Take No For An Answer
Speaking of fights in the middle, every democracy-loving American should send a thank you card (or a gift card) to the leadership of Third Way. Like Manchin popping out of his chair at the lurid attacks of a billionaire-backed Ivy League professional1 leftist protestor, the leading center left think tank sprang into action last year when No Labels announced its third party presidential bid.
Yesterday, No Labels announced they are moving ahead with the bid - but don’t have a candidate, possibly due to the comprehensive, research-backed opposition led by Third Way.
Third Way’s often feisty opposition to No Labels portends brighter days ahead, because this debate is bigger than a single third-party candidacy. It is about how centrists can wield power and defeat MAGA extremists for years to come.
Here’s an overview from The Bulwark on how We Need Partisan Centrism To Defeat Authoritarianism:
No Labels was founded by an alum of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), and the group has tried to claim the mantle of that successful moderate faction of the Clinton era. But the DLC’s rightful heir is the leading moderate think tank, Third Way. While Third Way has built up the moderate flank of the Democratic party and pushed back against far-left extremes, No Labels’s blind anti-partisanship has often worked with the authoritarian right (see Fox News touting No Labels’s opposition to the House January 6th Committee) and even, to a degree, the far left (which benefits when No Labels overhypes extremist powerwithin the Democratic party).
Instead of building up moderate factions within the parties—which is a centrist strategy that carries a strong recommendation from political scientists—anti-partisans like No Labels suck up resources and attention to ensure that neither party actually builds the type of partisan moderate infrastructure that could produce bipartisanship and sideline extremists.
Despite this strategic friction, there had been relative peace across centrist groups over the past two decades. But this Centrist Civil War can settle the debate.
As we have learned from a successful political entrepreneur, “getting into these fights is not like draining a battery. It’s like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets.”
We may need to fight on all sides, but we will win.
Thank you, Third Way.
Stay feisty, Joey Biden.
More coming.
“I wasn’t an activist before I joined Climate Defiance, and now I kind of do it for a living“