Progressive primary victories have corporate Democrats panicking

[WestMichRad]

Editorial in The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/01/democratic-socialists-versus-corporate-democrats

A recent chair of the Democratic National Committee apparently wants democratic socialists to get out of his party. “If you hate the Democratic Party, then please don’t run for our nomination,” Jaime Harrison tweeted on election day last week, shortly before results showed that three of those socialists had won Democratic primaries for Congress in deep-blue New York City. He didn’t identify his targets, but the implication was clear.

Harrison’s call for self-expulsion was the bizarre opposite of a welcome mat: “Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign.” The tweet turned reality on its head. Socialist candidates have been winning because they inspired multitudes of people to volunteer and provide what’s needed to win.

The little tirade from Harrison attracted a lot of attention, with more than 5m views on X. What’s widely known about him is that he served as Joe Biden’s DNC chair for four years after running for the Senate from South Carolina in 2020, when he raised a record $130m and lost to the Republican senator Lindsey Graham by 10 points. But little-known information about Harrison puts his evident broadside against socialists in context.

(Harrison was for several years a lobbyist for the Podesta Group, which represented numerous corporate clients. James Carville is another prominent member of this ilk.)

Harrison is an archetype of the political operatives telling democratic socialists to leave the Democratic party. If they followed such advice, the new mayors of New York and Seattle would no longer be Democrats. Nor would the next mayor of Washington DC, or the member of the Los Angeles city council now in a runoff for LA mayor.

(more at linked editorial)
WMR: if we follow their “advice”, we would be condemning the Dems to permanent minority status, IMO. F* that!

[LearnedHand]

1. Yet they wonder why they keep polling so low among democrats

Democrats voted for these “dirty socialists,” dude. Get a fucking clue.

[2naSalit]

2. WTF?

We can no longer tolerate stalemate in Congress. The corporate Dems seem to be pissed that they are getting pushed out for not fighting hard enough for us.

Boo fucking hoo!

If they were effective in doing what we elect them to do, we wouldn't need the DSA. I welcome them as it appears they walk their talk and that's what I'll be voting for.

We are tired of the sensibilities of those who don't want to get shit done enough to get it done. I suspect the only way we can take back Congress is with the addition of a number of DSA Dems.

Quit fighting the wave and get on board or sink.

[luv2fly]

10. "But, but, but,... they are in the minority. They are doing everything they can. Waaaaaahhhh"

This comment becomes more and more ridiculous every day.

People aren't asking for legislation, which of course requires a majority. People aren't even asking (though it would be nice) that you make efforts to stop some of the appalling legislation the Republicans have passed or want to pass.

But go out there and talk to people about real issues. You know, the people you represent. The people who put you in office. The people who pay your salary.

The party needs a "press secretary" who is putting out daily commentary across multiple media outlets of all types to fight the garbage coming from the Republicans.

The DSA is resonating with people because they are not only talking about fighting, they are doing it. The tired old Corporate/Establishment/Centrist Dems could learn something, however I fear they will simply take their toys and leave the sandbox.

[stage left]

17. And if they their toys and go

home, I say good.

[dalton99a]

3. Advice from the oligarch Bezos:

[David__77]

5. A recipe for sure defeat.

[luv2fly]

7. It's time for Democrats of ALL stripes to fight Bezos, Zuckerberg, et al

Rationalizations really ought to stop.

[Crowman2009]

14. Says the newspaper owned by Trump's bald buddy.

[LearnedHand]

19. Oh for fuck's sake

Way to identify the real enemy. I can’t even.

[gay texan]

4. Well DNC

We have been begging you to DO something. You know, like stand up to these GOP assholes for years! All you bastards want to do is play nice and roll over.

This is what you get for not listening to us!

[AZProgressive]

6. My mom donated to Harrison when he ran against Lindsey Graham

She also supports the recent Democratic Socialists so she was upset to read what Harrison said. She is a registered Independent but a left-leaning Independent.

Aside from losing to Graham he had a mixed record as DNC chair. Democrats did better than expected in 2022 but the experts were right about Trump winning in 2024.

My strategy has always been to support the nominee whether that is a Democratic Socialist or moderate Democrat because the other option which are Republicans is worse.

I accidentally started an OP saying the same thing when I meant to post it as a reply here.

[La Coliniere]

8. Mr. Harrison doesn't understand the urgency of the moment.

It’s a 5 alarm fire with the barbarians well past the gate and this centrist party player doesn’t seem to comprehend that the base of the party is no longer in line with these corporate Democrats who want to maintain the status quo. It’s all hands on deck and center, center left, and Democratic Socialists need to form a coalition to defeat the fascists and save what is left of this democratic republic before all is lost.. Democratic leadership in the party must start catering to the needs of the base, and the base seems to desire what the Democratic Socialists are advocating for.

[WestMichRad]

12. I think they're worried they might lose corporate control of Congress.

[multigraincracker]

9. Adapt or parish.

[Cheezoholic]

11. I've got 3 words for them........... don't panic, embrace n/t

[Cirsium]

13. It is out in the open now

For years many of us on the left thought that the truth was that the moderate Democrats wanted us to just go away. I guess we were right. Carville, now Harrison.

“Don’t use our resources. Don’t rely on our volunteers. Don’t use our infrastructure. Don’t ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign.” Resources? Volunteers? Infrastructure? Time, money, and energy? Say what? Gee, here in a red district - which many of us believe is very much in play - we have begged for years for any of that from the party. We won this very red district before, but not with a centrist candidate.

[Mysterian]

15. With "leaders" like this, no wonder Democrats control zero branches of the government

It seems DINOs must be forced out because they will not give up their power positions easily.

[Iggo]

16. You still want our votes though, right?

[kentuck]

18. They do not see it as expanding the Party...

...but somehow shrinking the Party and making it less appealing to the moderates that might vote for us.

[AZProgressive]

20. When you poll by policy their proposals are actually quite mainstream

Especially the economic ones which also poll well with Republicans.

I think some in the party do self-sabotage by painting DSA or similar progressives as "extremists". They are better off focusing on candidates that fit other districts better instead of the ones that fit their district like a glove.

Here are some of the results of the poll I was talking about:

RosaluxNYC

70% of all respondents say that our economic system is “rigged in favor of corporations and the wealthy” and needs to be replaced; this includes 67% of independents and 58% of Republicans.
59% of respondents (and 58% of Republicans) blame landlords and banks more than government regulation for the high cost of housing.
83% of respondents agree that social work and mental health are necessary parts of a public safety budget; this includes 81% of independents and 80% of Republicans. This was true across all partisan, racial/ethnic, geographic, and class groups.
15% of Donald Trump voters prefer democratic socialism to capitalism. These voters tended to be younger and non-white.

https://rosalux.nyc/new-poll-democratic-socialism-is-now-mainstream/

It is not a surprise to me that some of the DSA candidates are doing well. Even foreign policy can play a role in a lot of these elections.

Poll: Israel's standing plummets among Democrats, fueling primaries on the left (NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-israels-standing-plummets-democrats-fueling-primaries-left-rcna262995

[calimary]

21. Hey, people, STOP THIS!

We’ve got a big-enough adversary already. DON’T start finding new ones in our own midst. We’ve got a VERY heavy lift to deal with. It’s heavy enough already! What’s the point of adding to it.

[orangecrush]

22. KIck

[quaker bill]

23. Panic is useless

They simply need to figure out a way to deliver for their voters. It does not need to be socialism, but it actually would mean finding a spine and delivering. They also need to learn to use fewer words and say something. Well trained politicians can give a truly long answer that fills the silence with important sounding words, but says literally nothing. They need to unlearn that and say something and then do it or at least try. Bernie says something, and then tries to do it, sometimes on his own, sometimes with a small group, and rarely, but occasionally with a majority.

[Buddyzbuddy]

24. Whose money and resources, Mr. Harrison?

As far as I can tell, the Democrats voted for these candidates. That's called change for the party we want. Which is how this works.

It sounds as though according to Mr. Harrison, we can have a "big tent" and the moderate corporate, thirdway Dems want our votes as long as they're in charge.

We had 40 years of Democrats running Congress until Thirdway came along during the Clinton Administration when corporations were pushing the global initiative to take advantage of lower wages and fewer regulations in more economically challenged Countries. Which opened the door for Newt Gingrich.

America was starving for change after NAFTA. We felt sold out. And now, Corporate Democrats want it their way or else. Instead of saying vote blue no matter who, you would choose to trash our choices for the General in November.

I DON'T THINK SO!