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The worst-kept secret in Washington DC is that the Democratic Party is having a crisis of identity at the moment. On the one hand, there are moderate, establishment Democrats like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, both of whom represent an old-school method of Democratic governance.
On the other hand, there are young progressives like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. While moderates and progressives share a party, they often feel as distinct as Democrats and Republicans.
And that, of course, has been on display at the Democratic National Convention. The DNC has featured a number of moderate (and even Republican) speakers. Joe Biden has shown his willingness to compromise and reach for moderate Republican votes in the upcoming November election.
However, progressives have seethed at Biden’s reach to the right while ignoring the loudest voices to his left.
There is a generational divide that is threatening to cleave the Democratic Party in two. At current, the part is united in its hatred for the president, Donald Trump. In an ironic twist, Trump seems to be the glue holding the Democrats together.
Should Biden win in November and gain control of the White House, he may face as much opposition from his left as from his right.
Progressives have scored an impressive number of seats for themselves in the House of Representatives. Arrivals from 2018, including AOC, Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib have been dubbed “the Squad” by adoring young fans. A
ll four of them fended off primary challenges from well-funded, establishment Democrats. Newcomers like Cori Bush has secured victories in their House primaries in firmly Democratic districts.
This is to say: progressives are here to stay. And, if Republicans are smart, they’ll drive moderates and progressives apart in the most ruthless ways possible.
Conservatives are hardly a united front. Rand Paul and Ted Cruz represent a very different kind of Republican than, say, Donald Trump or Steven Mnuchin. However, there are no rifts as deep as the progressive/moderate rift within the Republican party. Savvy political strategists should use this to their advantage.
Should progressives and moderates find themselves at odds, they become an easier opponent for a united conservative message. After all, a candidate who wins the plurality of votes still wins an election in the US.
This means that two smaller opponents are a far easier challenge to overcome than one large opponent. Should Republicans use this to their advantage, they could drive progressives and moderates apart and consolidate control of Congress and the White House.
