Does the Democratic Party feud show that identity politics is destructive?

[Suburbia]

This week, the week of July 7-13, and the weeks of the Democratic presidential debate show that identity politics is destructive? Biden is a racist, Pelosi is a racist, etc.

[Crumpets]

There is no Democratic party feud. We like to maintain an open environment for criticism and self-betterment which strengthens the party in the long term. At the end of the day, we're all still Democrats. Sure, some people on the far-left and far-right edges of the party will come and go, but that's part of larger trends across the country than what Gravel says about Biden in a campaign ad.

[Suburbia]

There is no Democratic party feud. We like to maintain an open environment for criticism and self-betterment which strengthens the party in the long term. At the end of the day, we're all still Democrats. Sure, some people on the far-left and far-right edges of the party will come and go, but that's part of larger trends across the country than what Gravel says about Biden in a campaign ad.

AOC and Pelosi are feuding.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Nobody cares outside of Resistance Twitter.

[Suburbia]

Nobody cares outside of Resistance Twitter.

True, but the Democrats are more factional than Republicans.

The GOP falls in line, the Democrats are too fractious and factionalize, that's how Bush 2000 and Trump 2016 won.

The Green Party laps it up.

[GP270watch]

Pelosi is on her way out but her political instincts are still good. She's been around and seen most everything that can happen in Washington D.C. The "Justice Democrats" are filled with the spirit of not accepting the status quo and they have shown that they don't really care about political optics. When you believe you're part of a movement, you focus on your momentum and not on those who were never for your movement to begin with.

[T'Chenka]

The actual reason for this feud is 100% corrupt establishment types weilding power, and now recently non-corporate progressive types coming in and gaining some power. The progressive movement overall is a HUGE threat to the establishment if it keeps picking up steam. If they get 20 or 40 congresspeople into office in the next decade, or Bernie / Warren / Cortez into the White House, it's game over for the corrupt members of congress.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

The actual reason for this feud is 100% corrupt establishment types weilding power, and now recently non-corporate progressive types coming in and gaining some power. The progressive movement overall is a HUGE threat to the establishment if it keeps picking up steam. If they get 20 or 40 congresspeople into office in the next decade, or Bernie / Warren / Cortez into the White House, it's game over for the corrupt members of congress.

There is also a huge incentive for the Republicans (who cannot now hold power in a functioning representative government) to try to transform legitimate disagreement between parts of the (broad) Democratic Party into a destructive intra-party conflict that pits Democratic voters against each other, instead of uniting against the openly fascist Republican Party.  It's the only way the GOP can hold onto power with any appearance of legitimacy.

I'm mostly far-left and take issue with much of what the "Establishment Democrats" stand for and do. But I also understand that our politics are shackled to a the two-party system for the immediate future. And within the confines of that system, Democrats, even ones I disagree with a lot, are clearly better than anyone standing with the GOP.


This is only going to get worse over the next year and beyond. Everyone who opposes the GOP needs to remember how deeply awful they are, and that legitimate disagreement, even if they are deep and strongly felt, need to be set aside to smash the GOP fascists at the ballot box.

[Tartarus Sauce]

Nobody cares outside of Resistance Twitter.

True, but the Democrats are more factional than Republicans.

The GOP falls in line, the Democrats are too fractious and factionalize, that's how Bush 2000 and Trump 2016 won.

The Green Party laps it up.

Democrats have nearly always been more factional than Republicans, particularly since the New Deal era. That's what happens when you have a party historically consisting of a broad coalition of loosely connected interest groups pitted against a more homogenized party organized largely around the same set of ideological principles.

This current "controversy" is a nothingburger compared to the fractures that have rocked the Democrats in the past.

[Progressive Pessimist]

No. Next.

[junior chįmp]

Identity politics is always bad when people not belonging to my tribe do it

[Pandaguineapig]

It is interesting to see the race card being used against Pelosi, as well as the same left wing hacks who pushed the "Republican Civil war" bs now trying to pretend there's nothing going on

[Crumpets]

There is no Democratic party feud. We like to maintain an open environment for criticism and self-betterment which strengthens the party in the long term. At the end of the day, we're all still Democrats. Sure, some people on the far-left and far-right edges of the party will come and go, but that's part of larger trends across the country than what Gravel says about Biden in a campaign ad.

AOC and Pelosi are feuding.

There is no Democratic party feud. We like to maintain an open environment for criticism and self-betterment which strengthens the party in the long term. At the end of the day, we're all still Democrats. Sure, some people on the far-left and far-right edges of the party will come and go, but that's part of larger trends across the country than what Gravel says about Biden in a campaign ad whatever is going on between Pelosi and AOC on any given week.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Nobody cares outside of Resistance Twitter.

True, but the Democrats are more factional than Republicans.

The GOP falls in line, the Democrats are too fractious and factionalize, that's how Bush 2000 and Trump 2016 won.

The Green Party laps it up.

Democrats have nearly always been more factional than Republicans, particularly since the New Deal era. That's what happens when you have a party historically consisting of a broad coalition of loosely connected interest groups pitted against a more homogenized party organized largely around the same set of ideological principles.

This current "controversy" is a nothingburger compared to the fractures that have rocked the Democrats in the past.

In one sense, yes.  "Mr. Dooley", the fictional character created by Finley Peter Dunne, once said, "The Diemocratic Party ain't on speakin' terms with itself."  This was in the early 20th century, and the Democratic Party was, very much, a coalition of very different groups (as was the GOP, but to a lesser degree).  Sen. Herman Talmadge (D-GA), in stating that he would not campaign for McGovern, stated that he found himself "poles apart" from McGovern, and declared (rightly so, IMO) that the Democratic Party was more divided than at any time in his lifetime.  That's not where the Democratic Party is at today.  Aside from Bernie Sanders, there won't be an Anybody but (fill in the blank)! movement.  No one is going to walk out if a Woman/Black/Hispanic/Asian is the nominee of the Democratic Party; indeed, it will be a relative yawner.  

But the emphasis of Identity Politics "Wedge Issues" are going to come back to haunt the Democrats.  If Biden is the nominee, the utterly ridiculous charges that he was a "segregationist" (I can't stop laughing at that one.) that somehow supported Dixiecrats is just the stupidest thing I've ever heard from people who are serious, but the fact that that imbecile Kamala Harris "went there" isn't going to help the party.  The public sucking up to Al Sharpton on repirations by a string of candidates; is that going to play well with those critical voters that the Democrats need, should be getting, but didn't get in 2016; is that going to be a winner?  The ENDLESS drumbeats about Confederate monuments, "slavery" (154 years after it's final ending) etc.; how's that going to play?  The endless stroking of narratives that describe America as a Racist, Sexist, Imperialist, Evil nation that at least SOME of the Democratic field can't leave alone; is that going to bring MI and PA back home?

It doesn't have to be that way.  The Democrats have a case to be made on issues such as Healthcare, income inequality, as well as SOME criminal justice issues (inequality in sentencing, drug laws, issues involving policing, private prisons, etc.).  The CONDITIONS of ICE detention facilities are a legitimate issue, regardless of what one thinks about our immigration laws.  These issues, and more, can all be addressed by appealing to Americans as Americans.  Outside of Biden, there's not much of this happening.  This is why Republicans win and why people vote Republican when their economic circumstance might dictate otherwise; they are patriotic at heart, they want their Presidential candidates to speak to ALL Americans AS Americans, and the Democratic Party seems to have chronic difficulties in doing that.

[Grassroots]

It was expected. I wouldn’t necessarily say that Republicans aren’t somewhat split right now, but the Democrats are literally going to identity bait themselves into a loss.

[HisGrace]

Everything about America right now shows that identity politics is destructive.

[cinyc]

There is no Democratic Party feud. That tweet from the official Democratic leadership account attacking AOC's Chief of Staff is just a figment of your imagination. Everything is okay. End sarcasm.

Well - sort of - the media will cover up for the Dems as usual, and gloss over it, while it would be the next big scandal with wall-to-wall coverage if Republican leadership did the same thing to members of the House Freedom Caucus.

[smoltchanov]

Nobody cares outside of Resistance Twitter.

True, but the Democrats are more factional than Republicans.

The GOP falls in line, the Democrats are too fractious and factionalize, that's how Bush 2000 and Trump 2016 won.

The Green Party laps it up.

Democrats have nearly always been more factional than Republicans, particularly since the New Deal era. That's what happens when you have a party historically consisting of a broad coalition of loosely connected interest groups pitted against a more homogenized party organized largely around the same set of ideological principles.

This current "controversy" is a nothingburger compared to the fractures that have rocked the Democrats in the past.

Yeah, absolutely, but in situation where you may need few thousands votes to win Presidency, that may be still important..

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The feud is about new leadership, Harris wants to replace Biden; Cheri Bustos should replace Pelosi and Van Hollen should replace Schumer, Y2K generation have fully taken over from Boomers. Democrats are sorting out leadership change

[Hammy]

"Identity politics" has become nothing more than another buzzword with no meaning that the right and Moderate Heroes use. It's up there with other meaningless terms like political correctness and social justice warrior--it can mean whatever they want it to mean, whenever it's convenient, in order to level criticisms at anyone they don't like without having to actually have a valid reason. Ironically in the exact same way the same people claim the left uses the word "racist".

[Saint Milei]

This is basically the tea party all over again except the faces of the dems are idiots.

[Mr. Smith]

This is basically the tea party all over again except the faces of the dems are idiots.

I remember when the GOP was split like this 7 years ago. The establishment were thrown out with Romney's loss, the six year itch reaped rewards, then Trump happened.

Are you suggesting 2024 is going to end up reaping similar rewards for The Left?

[Statilius the Epicurean]

IMO it's completely embarrassing to the Democratic Party that the go-to attack for each faction is to call the other side racist. Like a parody of liberal politics at its worst.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

The Democratic dreams of impeachment of Trump which would have lead to their 412 electoral map has been dashed. Now, the Dems have to win another close election like in 2016.

Democrats would have never gotten Medicare for all and student loan indebtedness forgiven anyways. The country has to lift the debt Ceiling.  Just like in 2010, Obama didnt pay attention to rising debt

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

This isn't about identity politics, it's about foreign-backed militants seeking to bend a party to the will of a small minority of its base like they did in the UK.