Progressive vs Third Way

If anything has been definite coming from the Democratic Primaries it is the paradigm shift that is going on within the Democratic Party. Millennial voters have overwhelmingly favored Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a self proclaimed Democratic Socialist. Despite the mainstream media (along with other Sanders critics) attempting to paint Democratic Socialism as scary proposition – while ignoring the fact that Social Security, United States Military, and Medicare are all wildly popular Socialist programs, they Millennial population has not wavered.

The age of technology has allowed the free flowing access of information which has educated Millennials who are very supportive of Sanders and his progressive agenda. In fact, Democratic Socialism is polling higher among Millennials than Capitalism as far as favorability. The average American citizen has a more favorable opinion of Democratic Socialism in general than the mainstream media would lead one to believe.

This clashes with Third Way Democratic voters (and politicians) who are not bothered by Corporate money in the political system, feel Dodd-Frank is a good piece of legislation regulating Wall Street (as opposed to the stricter Glass-Steagall legislation that was repealed during President Bill Clinton’s administration), and are comfortable with incremental political changes. They are not attracted to Senator Sanders call for a political revolution and strongly back the Presidential Campaign of Secretary Hillary Clinton. These Democratic voters are further to the right on the political spectrum and older in nature.

The Challenges Ahead

The establishment, Third Way wing of the Democratic Party is nowhere near as Progressive on economic issues as Bernie Sanders or his Millennial supporters. While Secretary Clinton may be able to capture the nomination despite this movement, there is no doubt that the party is going to change drastically or risk alienating millions of young voters that want to see drastic changes in American society.

Mainstream media outlets, the Democratic Party establishment, and even Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz condescending treatment of Senator Sanders has already left a negative impression among the Progressive wing of the party. A tweet from Donna Brazile, a former Democratic Party Strategist who was the Campaign Manager during Al Gore’s 2000 Presidential run highlights the fracture.

This is extremely disgraceful. Why Senator Sanders says he ran as a Democrat: Fof 'media coverage' https://t.co/uYMhsmO1ut

— Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) March 15, 2016

Brazile ignores the clear disadvantages for any candidate that would attempt to make a third party run for the White House. The media hardly ever covers such candidates and they are unable to raise hardly any money. Senator Sanders is most Liberal member of the Senate in the mold of the 33rd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt who helped pass a number of Socialist programs that are popular among Americans.

While the attacks resonate with a portion of the Democratic Party, many are turned back by the clear narrow approach as that taken by Brazile in her tweet. If the Democratic Party continues in this direction they could face a fracturing of the party as Millennial voters have made their dislike of establishment politics clear. While some are pushing the narrative that the nomination cycle is over, Senator Sanders has pledged to stay in the race as over a thousand pledged delegates still remain. The heavily populated states of California and New York have yet to vote during the cycle as well.