Democrats are furious. And they want their leaders to get mad, too.
“I wish you’d be angry,” a constituent told representative Gil Cisneros, a Democrat of California, at a recent town hall. At an event in Minnesota featuring a panel of Democratic attorneys general, an activist voiced a similar sentiment: “Get angry, man,” punctuating the message with a profanity.
The anger roiling the party, slow to build, is now a forceful current coursing through the electorate and pulling in Americans terrified that the country is descending into authoritarianism. Democrats – with no leader to guide them and little power to wield in Washington – are scrambling to harness the sudden fury.
At rallies, town halls and protests, voters are venting their fury with Donald Trump and his empowerment of Elon Musk’s full-frontal assault on federal agencies, stoking what progressive activists believe are the embers of a populist backlash against the president – and the Democratic leaders they believe are not meeting the moment.
We need a person that can easily break down the real reasons people are suffering, that can reach the average American without coming off as belittling or consescending, and that can unite wide coalitions and instill a renewed sense of trust into disaffected voters. The left needs a populist. And in my opinion, after listening to her speaking on the Fight Oligarchy Tour, AOC fits this bill. Whether it is her or someone else, the Dems need a united front of this messaging, or they will allow us to get fucked once again. No more of the old guard, neoliberal, Chuck Schumer bullshit or we’re toast.
EDIT: spelling