The “commentariat” keeps marveling that the Democrats who lost big last November have not been able to settle on a path forward that shows much chance of leading them to victory. A big part of this difficulty is that Trump has put his stamp on the 80% side of every 80-20 public opinion split.
Another big part is that the people who give the party energy are all on the left, with the possible exception of Sen. Fetterman. He has become this cycle’s version of Joe Manchin, a lonely centrist contrarian.
In order for centrist Democrats to emerge and be empowered, the party will have to nominate a latter-day George McGovern who will lose big, even a lot of normally blue states. AOC would fill the bill.
Kamala Harris didn’t lose by a large enough margin to surface centrists in the party who are, for the moment, keeping their heads down and powder dry while hoping their turn will come along before they’re too old. If history doesn’t repeat but rhymes, then a latter-day Bill Clinton may be who gets Democrats back into the White House.
