The Haunting of Dems House: The Ghost of the Squad
By: Eric Pilon
Tags: Democratic Party, Politics, Socialism, Joe Biden, 2020 Presidential Race

The Haunting of Dems House: The Ghost of the Squad

Source: Pixabay

At the time of writing this paper, two seats in the Senate are still at stake; two seats in Georgia that will determine whether America will be witnessing the emergence of a fractured Democratic presidency or a transition to almost absolute power for the Dems.

That said, the mixed results of the elections shook the very foundations of Joe Biden’s party. A clash, even an epic battle, is looming between two ideological camps among the Democrats, one permeating the “woke culture” that is standing on the far-left side of the political spectrum, the other, although left-wing as well, being more centrist.

Now, judging by the first post-electoral feedback, this clash is already felt within the party, which disrupts the ideological coexistence that has prevailed for several years.

“We Will Get F…ing Torn Apart Again in 2022”

I wish I could have listened to the conversations that took place during a conference call the House Democratic caucus held on November 5. It appears that the tension was high; very high.

During that call, the moderates blamed the “progressives” for relying too much on socialist ideas. Conversely, the latter, led by the Squad, accused the former of being too conformist. Here is what Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger had to say: “If we run this race again we will get fucking torn apart again in 2022.” Or this: “We lost races we shouldn’t have lost. Defund [the] police almost cost me my race because of an attack ad. Don’t say socialism ever again.”

How about this one: If “we are going to run on Medicare for All, defund the police, socialized medicine, we’re not going to win”, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said.

Even in public, some did not hide their anger. “Pelosi needed to hammer Trump but instead she chose to let him slide”, said one former senior Democratic aide, as reported by The Hill. “Last night should have been a bloodbath for Republicans.”

Another one took the same path in an interview with The Hill. “It’s time for Democrats to elevate a new generation of leadership in both the House and the Senate. Americans are clearly afraid of socialism, want safe streets and neighborhoods, and to vote for people who they believe will help put more money in their pockets.”

The Problem Is: Dems Have to Deal With the Squad

Yes, the Squad. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), Ayanna Pressley, Rachida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar have gotten at least one good news out of these elections: they’ve added three new “progressive” mates to their team, including two men, in districts of Missouri and New York.

Despite this half-victory, Ocasio-Cortez called the Democratic Party “incompetent” for failing to place progressives in top positions and pressured Joe Biden to make a move in that direction. For the far-left New York representative, failing to do so would lead to a defeat in 2022 for the Democrats.

In an interview with the New York Times, AOC, who is no longer sure if she still wants to “be in politics”, also accused her party of adopting a “smothering approach”. “The last two years have been pretty hostile. Externally, we’ve been winning. Externally, there’s been a ton of support, but internally, it’s been extremely hostile to anything that even smells progressive”, she said. She added that it was time for the Democrats to implement an “unapologetic agenda”, diametrically opposite to the GOP’s, “instead of trying to play with notions of civility”.

On her side, Rashida Tlaib, from Michigan, criticized her party’s moderates for failing to more firmly support the Black Lives Matter and Defund the Police movements. Tlaib confronted her colleagues during the November 5 conference call, “accusing them of only being interested in appealing to white people in the suburbs”, as The Daily Caller reported, citing The Washington Post. Tlaib also stated that she refused to remain silent, preferring to loudly voice her opinions, even though she risks alienating voters by this approach.

As for Ilhan Omar, she has so far been a little quieter than her Squad’s mates, perhaps because Biden’s victory can only delight the Muslim community, knowing that the President-elect has built symbiotic relationships with Islamist organizations.

A Shaky Multiracial Coalition

The moderate Dems are not only haunted by the Squad. They’ve seen their alliance with black and Hispanic voters weaken, as Trump gained traction with every single demographic group, with the exception of white men. Which is ironic since he was described as the candidate of “angry white men.”

And as Politico noted, the incumbent president “did better than expected, and Biden did worse than expected, in many big cities.”

So, what are the consequences of these results for the future of the Democratic Party? Quite serious. Its members can no longer take for granted that black and Hispanic voters love socialism, which means that the difference between a win and a loss in 2022 will depend on how they will be able to muzzle the Squad.

Sources

Breitbart News, #1, #2, Newspunch, Politico, The Daily Beast, The Daily Caller, The Daily Mail, The Hill