A Proposal to Clean Up the Democratic Party

The leadership of the Democratic Party deserves significant blame for the return of Donald Trump to the White House. While there were multiple factors at play, it must be acknowledged that Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and their enablers engaged in vast levels of political malpractice despite countless warnings from many key voices and constituencies.

Multiple governments worldwide, regardless of ideology, have suffered at the polls this year, suggesting that Harris faced an uphill battle no matter what. But that fight was made even more difficult by the simple reality that Biden and Harris spent a solid year alienating core constituencies of the Democratic Party, supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and failing to assign clear blame for the individuals and interest groups responsible for the economic woes of the working class.

If we want a Democratic Party that can produce different outcomes, we will need to hold the current party accountable for its failures. That means matching our demands for change with the force and pressure of real accountability. The Democratic leadership must itself be targeted with campaigns that highlight the principles of electoral success while punishing those responsible for the party’s continued defeats. I’m building a campaign to do exactly that, and here’s how I think we can win.

Clean Up the Party Now

Democrats are in disarray, with many different voices and communities picking through the wreckage of 2024 to decide what can be learned and what should be done next. This is the time to name our adversaries and assert our demands. If we want to build a Democratic Party that has any shot of winning elections and advancing the human condition, we must model the very posture of aggressive accountability that we want future Democratic presidential candidates to adopt.

There are plenty of potential targets for accountability. We can directly challenge the culture of the Democratic Party right now by turning the looming internal elections for a new Democratic National Committee chair into a public battle for our core values. Leaning into 2026, the elections for the House and Senate can be leveraged to call out Democratic incumbents who continue to serve as vehicles for corporate interests. Pro-Israel hawks like Rep. Ritchie Torres should be directly challenged in both the 2026 primaries and general election.

Looking to 2028, leading Democratic contenders for the presidential race should be held accountable now for their failings. One such example is California Gov. Gavin Newsom. When Uber launched its successful war against California state-mandated benefits for drivers, Newsom stayed neutral. He should be called out for this silence. Another important target is Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is also being talked up as a presidential contender. Shapiro’s record of support for Israeli apartheid and genocide is well documented, and a grassroots campaign to oppose him as president should begin now.

Even Biden’s eventual groundbreaking ceremony for his future presidential library should be made into a target for principled criticisms and protests. Biden destroyed the Democrats’ prospects in 2024 by supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza and arrogantly refusing to drop out of the presidential race until it was too late to hold a real primary. By making an example out of Biden himself, we can “punch up” into the highest levels of the party and build our power to hold the party accountable.

Name the Enemy: Corporate Elites

When it comes to the fundamental unfairness of the U.S. economy, Democrats often speak in soft surrogate terms: cutting taxes on the middle class, forgiving student loans, increasing funding for college, etc. But Democrats’ core silence on corporate greed has allowed Trump to step into the vacuum with a very different explanation of who is to blame. Trump’s false explanations often focus on racial resentments, culture conflict, or issues related to gender and sexuality. But blaming undocumented immigrants, DEI, “critical race theory,” or transgender equality will not address the fundamental unfairness of an economy in which workers are squeezed under the diktat of economic elites.

The American working class has long been undermined by those who represent the interests of concentrated wealth. America’s corporate elites block unions, outsource U.S.

Democrats must expel the pro-Israel lobby from their ranks and hold Israel accountable for its actions. By aligning with corporate elites, ignoring working-class issues, and maintaining ties with pro-war factions, the Democratic Party risks losing support from its base and perpetuating the cycle of harm to working-class Americans. It’s time to kick out the sellouts, say goodbye to outdated leadership, and take a stand for justice and equality for all. It will require time to delve deeper into the question of why as many as 10 or 11 million of Biden’s 2020 voters did not show up to support Kamala Harris in 2024. However, a percentage of those voters may have been distressed by Biden and Harris’s unwavering support for U.S. military funding for Israel. This distress is not exclusive to Arab and Muslim voters, nor is it limited to voters in Michigan.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other pro-Israel campaign and advocacy organizations prioritize their single-issue agenda over the Democratic Party’s prospects. These organizations are willing to support or oppose any elected official based on their stance on Israel. By accommodating single-issue pro-Israel networks within the Democratic Party, the party risks alienating prominent progressive and populist legislators, along with their supporters.

This dynamic has led to a superficial form of representational politics, where anti-worker Black leaders like Harrison and West are elevated within the party, while progressive Black members of Congress like Cori Bush and Jamaal Bowman are targeted for defeat by pro-Israel networks. Even organizations like J-Street, claiming to be “pro-Israel, pro-peace,” have contributed to the defeat of candidates like Bowman.

To address this ongoing tension between populist ideals and corporate interests within the Democratic Party, advocates must engage in a continuous battle for the party’s soul. Until reforms like overturning Citizens United and implementing public financing are realized, the party will struggle to break free from the influence of concentrated wealth.

A vigilant watchdog community is needed to push for comprehensive reform within the Democratic Party and challenge its drift towards corporate interests. Various networks, including disgruntled Democrats, climate activists, progressives, opponents of Israel’s actions, and members of third parties like the Green Party and Democratic Socialists of America, can play a crucial role in steering the party towards a more progressive and inclusive path.

Looking beyond 2024, it is evident that without sustained public pressure, the Democratic Party is at risk of remaining entrenched in a culture of defeat. Real change will only come through proactive efforts to transform the party into one that truly represents the public interest and secures electoral victories. The time to initiate this fight for a reformed Democratic Party is now. Please rewrite this sentence.

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