There Is No Such Thing As A Moderate Democrat Anymore

Nearly 60 percent of Democrats support the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), according to a recent Quinnipiac University poll. The poll, conducted between Sept. 3 and Sept. 6, asked respondents: “On political matters, do you consider yourself a supporter of the Democratic Socialists of America, or not?” Fifty-nine percent of Democrats said “yes,” while just 30 percent said “no.” Two percent of Republicans said “yes,” while 96 percent of Republicans said “no.” Among independents, 22 percent said “yes,” and 70 percent said “no.” It’s a concerning statistic, especially given what the DSA platform stands for. The DSA released a new platform in June that explicitly called for drafting “a new constitution, and creat[ing] a democratic socialist republic.” The organization also called for abolishing the Electoral College, as well as “replac[ing] the President and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.” The DSA is also pushing to “demilitarize police departments, disempower police unions, and redirect funding to public services as steps toward fully abolishing the police and prison system.” The socialists want to abolish ICE, “legalize migration, grant amnesty for all immigrants regardless of status, provide a path to citizenship for all permanent residents, and end visa caps and quotas.” There are now just 10 Democrats of more than 250 in Congress who have signed on to a coalition that opposes rising socialism and communism. As part of their “Promise to America,” the 10 Democrats declare (among other things): “We are capitalist, not socialist,” “We want safety, not lawlessness,” “We are proud, not ashamed of America.” That not all Democrats signed on to that in and of itself is concerning. The embrace of socialism — an extremist ideology — among mainstream Democrats both in office and in the electorate is the logical extension of Democrats’ policies. As I’ve previously written, the DSA isn’t necessarily inventing any new ideas or positions. They’re merely taking positions already embraced by much of the Democrat Party and just following them through to their logical conclusion. For example, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both called for the abolition of the Electoral College. Democrats have also supported the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would also abolish the Electoral College. Virginia’s Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently committed Virginia to the unconstitutional pact as well. Or take immigration. Mainstream Democrats have long insisted that illegal aliens should have pathways to citizenship. Harris said in a 2017 post on X that “an undocumented immigrant is not a criminal. … Give people a path to citizenship. The vast majority of folks we’re talking about are living a lawful life and paying taxes.” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., declared: “Let me be clear: No human being is illegal.” The DSA similarly argues “no human is illegal,” and the logical conclusion to this proposition is that there is no reason for ICE or deportations, which is exactly what the DSA is calling for. In other words, Democrat voters are already accustomed to this ideology because of mainstream Democrats. The same pattern can be seen in Democrats’ calls for defunding police and prisons or making housing a “right.” The DSA openly pushes for what mainstream Democrats have been advancing gradually with language that is a bit more polished: destroying immigration enforcement and borders, dismantling police and prisons, and abolishing the Constitution as we know it. When 59 percent of Democrats describe themselves as DSA supporters, the socialists cannot be dismissed as a fringe faction hijacking an otherwise moderate party. Socialists are the party’s voters, its candidates, and the logical conclusion of its agenda. Democrats can keep pretending they are “moderate” to win general elections (I’m looking at you, Abigail Spanberger and James Talarico), but moderation requires more than just saying the word over and over again. It requires drawing a line and opposing radicals who want to explicitly get rid of the Constitution, end borders entirely, and end police. Yet today’s Democrats — as evidenced by only 10 joining the aforementioned coalition opposing socialism — are unwilling to draw that line because they’re already on the same side as the socialists. Brianna Lyman is an elections correspondent at The Federalist. Brianna graduated from Fordham University with a degree in International Political Economy. Her work has been featured on Newsmax, Fox News, Fox Business and RealClearPolitics. Follow Brianna on X: @briannalyman2 ConstitutionDemocratic Socialists of AmericaDSAElectoral CollegeHillary ClintonKamala Harrissocialism