In 1989, in the wake of the Democratic Party’s third consecutive presidential defeat, we offered our thoughts for the party’s recovery and renewal. Our diagnosis was blunt. “Too many Americans,” we wrote, “have come to see the party as inattentive to their economic interests, indifferent if not hostile to their moral sentiments, and ineffective in defense of their national security.” Worse, we argued, too many Democrats were explaining away these problems or denying them outright. Instead of facing reality, they had embraced a “politics of evasion” that ignored electoral reality and impeded needed change.

This was 33 years ago. But recent developments compel us to renew our warning. The resurgence of inflation caught Democrats flat-footed and was initially dismissed, making many Americans wonder whether Democrats were in touch with everyday economic reality. The way the United States left Afghanistan weakened confidence in Democrats’ management of foreign and defense policy, raising the political stakes in Ukraine. And worst of all, too many of the most vocal Democrats have adopted stances on fraught social issues — policing, immigration, public schools, and others — that repel a majority of Americans. The title of veteran political analyst Ronald Brownstein’s recent article told a hard truth: “Democrats are losing the culture war.” And when they lose this war, they lose elections — as they did in Virginia last November. CONTINUED

William A. Galston & Elaine C. Kamarck, Progressive Policy Institute

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