Crowley beats Hong ; moderates surge in squeakers over democratic socialists. Now what, Dems?

This morning, young voters probably feel like the air was let out of their tires. The "progressive" movement vs the establishment, the enthusiasm this generated in recent primaries, and the appeal to grassroots activism have suddenly met resistance, with squeaker results of some close wins and some close losses. El-Sayed in Michigan's close win and Hong's in Wisconsin's close loss show the limits of the "progressive left".  https://www.npr.org/2026/08/12/nx-s1-5927119/2026-minnesota-governor-primary-election-crowley-hong  

Take heart, young voters. A message to younger generations from one of the (not so) silent generation.   Realize that, win or lose, the Democratic Party cannot win without your support because you did so well in bringing new blood of ideas,  young legs,  and talented candidates into a "big tent" that had become filled with the old, creaky, cranky, and geriatric. Your success will and cannot be ignored. Take a deep breath and know that a MAGA victory in November would be the worst outcome you could experience.  Also realize that to win those close races in November,  the "establishment" will have to embrace so many of the issues you raised, like affordability, or they, too, will lose to MAGA if they do not. 

 Pollsters took a bath, failing to pick up on last-minute waves of pragmatism driving ." the establishment" to crash the party's growing infatuation with Democratic Socialists and those progressives who embraced parts of the DSA plank. It appeared to the pragmatists that the rise of the progressive left and the ideology of Democratic socialism were a gift to MAGA in the general election, setting up their defense loaded with messages of fear and hate.   There is a split in the progressives: those who do support the platform of the DSA and those who still support capitalism with reforms. Reform or revolution is a dividing distinction. However, both share the pocketbook issues and offer similar legislative solutions for those who saw their inability to cope with day-to-day economic demands. Call those left behind "workers", the "middle class", or " ordinary Americans", both DSA and the establishment wings of the Democratic Party are in sync on pocketbook issues, and if all factions keep their messaging focused on solutions to those issues, they will still succeed in November. 

 It also appears that older and wiser moderates awoke at the last minute to the danger of the extremism of the DSA's plank, with its anti-capitalist and pro-Gaza message.  "Moderates and establishment feared the very progressive candidates were a gift of attack ads material to MAGA candidates in purple states in the November general election.  The demise of MAGA power had been the assumption that fueled Democrats' hopes of a takeover of the House, Senate, and state houses, but now the fear was that too-progressive candidates would be more easily defeated in the upcoming general election.  MAGA was beginning to see some blood in the water and was salivating at the prospect of keeping control of DC as they began to paint the entire Democratic Party as a bunch of communists.  If any air was let out of the tires, the strength of the establishment in the Democratic Party and the willingness of the factions to work to gather in a common cause of a Democratic Party victory, MAGA may be feeling a letdown, too, today.

This moment reminded me of the early years of my own political activism in the 1960's and 1970's. I, too, embraced candidates with cutting ideas that shook "the establishment" out of their post world war II slumber: What I did realize, however, if any of my ideas had a chance to succeed, it would take compromise and many half a loaf victories for the issues I  and so many of those like me, had supported   Those ssues many of us supported were consumer rights, city is for people, mass transit, fighting destruction of neighborhoods,  more sensitivity to environmental and quality of life issues, and, of course, civil rights and inclusiveness. The brown cloud of air pollution had become the city's infamous hallmark nationwide. Many of these issues and their solutions were absorbed into the goals and policies of subsequent leaders in Denver, thanks first to the election of Mayor  Federico Peña and then all those who succeeded him to this day.  

There is an issue that cannot be overlooked in these next few months: the reasons these liberal urban ideas took root were that we had a democratic form of government that permitted equal time media coverage and the political organization skills of those who initially challenged the existing big-city boss form of government.  For that reason, fundamentally, supporting democracy in the form we have known it and democratic institutions allows new ideas to be accepted.  The idea of autocracy, dictatorship, and suppression of political opposition are the basic enemies that will cripple reform and the implementation of new goals.  MAGA and Trump himself are the enemies of this vision of democracy, because they try to upend our democratic form of government that enables good ideas to rise like cream to the top.  Young progressives should not lose sight of that fact and include the defense of democracy in their priorities. 

To believe that government is for one economic class or race or religion is the greatest enemy we face today if we want a peaceful, prosperous tomorrow in our multi-cultural, multi-racial nation. Elements in both the DSA and MAGA are guilty of promoting to powerful positions only those who are very much like them and suppressing or disadvantaging the " others".   All need a fair shot at getting their voices heard. Democracy provides the mechanics and hope for that to occur.

The American political system forces compromise and embracing of new ideas at the local and national level early in the election cycle.   Primaries are very important, and in the long run, the math counts. The bigger the tent, the more the numbers add up, and it is more likely that those appealing to the most voters win the seats of power that enable the implementation of their agenda.