Does the Democratic Party need to make any changes before the next election?

[Sympthsical]

26. Depends on the young person

I know people - particularly here - don't want to hear it, but the path forward is to move left on economics and moderate on social issues.

Unfortunately, "young" progressivism seems to be monopolized by people who think we're not to the left enough socially while only throwing a fig leaf in the direction of economics. Remember, the first time Bernie ran, the main attack against him was that he was somehow racist because he kept focusing on economic issues.

That impulse in the party needs to be shit-canned, and I don't see any signs that younger people who live on social media all day will manage it. I've said it before, I'll say it again - the activist tail is wagging the party dog, and that is incredibly problematic from an electoral perspective. American voters who should be voting for us for economic and greater policy reasons see a lot of our loonier social positions and bail. Because that's the face we wear - the activist face. And most Americans just don't identify with it.

And when they don't identify with you, they don't vote for you.

But until people are ready to have that conversation - and after 10 years of eroding power, they still think doubling down is the way forward - then we're going to have our problems.

And if you think we're in a mess now, wait til the 2030 census kicks in. It's going to be a total shitshow for us. We should be laying a hardcore economic policy base right now so we are prepared to combat what will be a more electorally difficult 2030s for us.

But nah. We just talk about the crap that alienates people all over the map. So Twitter and Bluesky feel self-satisfied and righteous.

On the bright side, Trump is so awful at the moment, I think 2026 is going to kind of win itself. I'm not saying be complacent, but I think the conversation we should be having about the party's future is going to be delayed due to how easy Trump may make things for us. People will mistake that for not having to change a thing. When it may very well mean just the opposite in the medium term. Then 2030 comes, and then we get wrecked because we didn't adjust.

I dunno. I just don't feel good about things right now. We're just in this place where people cannot, will not, and actively resist learning. The Bubble is more fortified than ever. And it's going to kill this country. It's gotten us to this point. Why shouldn't it keep going?