You’d think things couldn’t get any worse for Democrats after a March 11 NBC News survey found only 27% of Americans had a positive view of the party—its lowest rating ever in the poll.
Yet they have.
Last week Joe Biden shuffled onto a stage in Chicago to attack his successor before an audience of advocates for the disabled. The party knows Mr. Biden is a liability in public now, so there were crickets when his camp let it be known he was willing to deploy his frail, unsteady voice for Democrats in the 2026 midterms.
Not to be outdone, Al Gore jumped into the action Monday at a San Francisco climate conference. He professed, “I understand very well why it is wrong to compare Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich to any other movement—it was uniquely evil, full stop.” Except he didn’t stop. “There are important lessons from the history of that emergent evil,” Mr. Gore continued, launching into a rant against President Trump. Reductio ad Hitlerum won’t convince one additional person to vote Democratic.
But at least Mr. Gore attacked Republicans. The same can’t be said of a new Democratic National Committee vice chairman, 25-year-old David Hogg. The antigun activist last week threatened to spend $20 million to defeat older incumbents in Congress. Declaring “it’s out with the ineffective and in with the effective,” Mr. Hogg named himself judge, jury and executioner for Democratic House members insufficiently left-wing or nasty toward the president. Nothing says “winning” like a national party leader publicly turning on his own elected officials.
Some Democrats were understandably unhappy. The strategist James Carvilledismissed Mr. Hogg’s actions as “the most insane thing” he’s ever heard. He pointed out that, as a DNC vice chairman, Mr. Hogg has “a fiduciary duty to the Democratic Party.” So Mr. Carville asked, “Why don’t you take on a Republican? That’s your job.”
If it’s any solace for the Ragin’ Cajun, Mr. Hogg must raise his fundraising game significantly to deliver on his $20 million threat. The Federal Election Commission reports that Mr. Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve PAC raised $11.9 million last election cycle. It spent $266,000 on federal campaigns and committees but $10.7 million on operating expenses, including Mr. Hogg’s salary as PAC president.
Another problem for Democrats is the “Fighting Oligarchy” roadshow of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Since late March they’ve drawn large, enthusiastic crowds in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana and Utah. They promise more rallies soon. Unlike Mr. Hogg, this duo can raise money. AOC’s campaign reported it took in $9.6 million the first quarter and has $8 million cash on hand.
But the Bernie-AOC message is unlikely to attract many new voters; they’re providing a rallying place for rabid, totally committed progressives. Making this pair the Democrats’ face runs the risk of making the party appear even more out of touch with the Americans who swung the last election to Mr. Trump. Those voters wanted less inflation, lower taxes, secure borders, a stronger military, and an end to DEI nonsense. Bernie and AOC’s policies would deliver the opposite.
