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The Atlantic published an article criticizing Democrats for talking a big game about moderating their positions to win back the public, while failing to actually do so out of fear of their base.
While some rising Democratic leaders have called out the party as being too “weak and woke” and urged them to “retake the flag” after their historic loss in November, other commentators have challenged Democrats to specify which progressive cultural policies they will actually leave behind, knowing it might enrage their base.
The Atlantic’s assistant editor Marc Novicoff was the latest to weigh in, publishing a piece headlined “Democrats Don’t Seem Willing to Follow Their Own Advice.” He asked, “Party leaders know they need to moderate on cultural issues to win back working-class voters — so why don’t they?” The piece argued that with a few exceptions, Democrats have avoided disavowing specific far-left policies, “whether regarding trans athletes or other high-profile social issues on which the party is vulnerable, such as immigration and climate.”
One example Novicoff cited was Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., who said the political pendulum had swung too far leftward. Yet, “Even Torres’s big postelection immigration ‘flip-flop,’ as Politico put it, was to announce that he would no longer fight against the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have a criminal record.”
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As Republicans have been credited with becoming a big tent movement, Democrats have been perceived as more restrictive about what opinions and policies are allowed within their coalition. (Fox News)
Novicoff also highlighted another example of a Democrats offering symbolic policies that extend an olive branch to conservatives without alienating liberals, noting this was a “leading example” of moderation cited by The Washington Post.
He pointed to Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., who boasted that he had legalized hunting on Sundays. “No core constituency in the Democratic Party is outraged by the thought of hunting on Sundays, which is why you almost certainly heard nothing about Shapiro’s comment,” Novicoff wrote.
Novicoff argued that the gold standard of actual moderation was former President Bill Clinton’s “Sister Souljah” moment in 1992, referencing when Clinton denounced the rapper’s remarks about race while he was running for president — infuriating many far-left activists.
Elaine Kamarck, who worked in the Clinton White House, told The Atlantic that sometimes, “You’ve got to go against your party,” and that “If nobody gets mad, you’re not doing anything courageous.”
Even Trump, Novicoff argued, deserves some credit for using moderate messaging to win support.
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The Atlantic writer credited Trump’s skill for using “selective moderation to make inroads with swing voters.” (Rick Scuteri)
“Trump is no moderate, but in 2016 and 2024, he used selective moderation to make inroads with swing voters who disapprove of certain unpopular Republican Party orthodoxies,” the writer suggested. “In his first run for president, he committed to not cutting Social Security and Medicare, and he hammered his primary opponents for supporting the invasion of Iraq. In his 2024 run, he promised not to enact a national abortion ban. All three of these positions were broadly popular but offended core Republican constituencies — budget hawks, neoconservatives, and pro-lifers, respectively. They seem to have paid off.”
But Democrats seem to have reason to fear their base if they attempt moderation. Novicoff recalled Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., who angered progressives by opposing biological men competing in women’s sports. The Atlantic reported that Moulton quickly faced protesters at his district office, was branded a “Nazi cooperator” and drew a primary challenge from a transgender opponent.
Moulton asserted to The Atlantic that “fear of backlash” is what is holding many of his fellow Democrats back from changing their stances publicly.
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Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., recieved massive backlash for his comments about biological men in women’s sports. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Novicoff suggested that a key reason is that many Democrats hold safe seats, where their biggest threat is a primary challenge from the left. But at the national level, he argued, refusing to moderate is a losing strategy.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Rep. Torres and Gov. Shapiro, but did not receive an immediate response.
Fox News’ Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
