The progressive movement got mugged by reality, and the bruises are showing.
Even had Trump not won a modern landslide America would still be shifting away from the Democratic establishment that ran far left of its constituents. For Democrats baffled by the popularity of Donald Trump, a brief history lesson is in order.
Remember 2020? A slate of far-left Democrats battled for their party’s presidential nomination, each trying to outdo the other with radical proposals as socialist Bernie Sanders threatened to win. They chose Joe Biden, the elder everyman, to steer them away from electoral disaster. Yet he too quickly bowed to the progressive wing, embracing positions that would’ve been unthinkable just years earlier.
Then something remarkable happened: These weren’t just ideas anymore. They became public policy.
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The Great Progressive Experiment
San Francisco became ground zero, emptying jails and tolerating open drug use. Portland defunded its police. Chicago ditched ShotSpotter technology that helped cops respond to gunfire. New York and Chicago declared themselves sanctuary cities. Schools pushed gender ideology beyond parental consent.
The results were an unmitigated disaster. Crime skyrocketed in major cities. Homeless encampments spread like wildfire. Inflation hit 40-year highs. The progressive experiment crashed into reality.
Democrats spent the last months sprinting from their previous positions, from Kamala Harris to other candidates across the country. The left now wants to build Trump’s wall. “Fund the Police” has become the new mantra. Kamala owns a Glock! Even California is undoing its recent criminal justice “reforms”.
The shift wasn’t politicians discovering new truths – it was driven by the public who’d had enough. Black and Hispanic Democrats are now more likely than white Democrats to favor increased police funding. Even in deep-blue cities, voters rejected progressive approaches to crime and public safety.
Immigration? The public had enough. The foreign-born population has hit record levels, and Democratic mayors who once welcomed migrants are now begging for federal help.
When Trump kicked off his 2016 campaign and went hard against illegal immigration, he was a pariah. He was attacked by Democrats, Republicans and his perennial opponent, the media. Now, his position is mainstream.
On the cultural front, Democrats are playing defense. In the modern era, few political ads moved the needle more than Trump’s attack on Kamala Harris for transgender extremism. Its tagline – “Kamala is for they/them; President Trump is for you” – might be considered hate speech by progressives, but it resonated with voters.
Corporate America got the message too. Major companies are walking back aggressive social justice commitments. Universities are dropping diversity statement requirements. Progressive rallying cries like Medicare-for-All have largely vanished from the discourse.
The Yes, But…
Here’s the twist that should give conservatives pause: Among 18-25 year olds, progressive positions still dominate. Young PhDs overwhelmingly support firing academics with controversial views. Millennials and zoomers who will soon control institutions remain committed to progressive ideologies.
Will these young true believers eventually get mugged by reality too? Or is this just a temporary setback in a longer march?
The progressive movement isn’t dead – it’s just been sent to its room to think about what it did. The question is whether it’s learned anything.
This column is syndicated with the direct permission from Ken LaCorte.
Ken LaCorte writes about censorship, media malfeasance, uncomfortable questions, and honest insight for people curious how the world really works.
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