Here at PJ Media, we've talked a lot about how Democrats have become too radical and beholden to the fringe elements of their party, and how even in the wake of their defeat in the elections last year, they seem unable to understand what's wrong with their party or how to fix it. Frankly, I'm not convinced they'll change course.
Though they’re still going to appear to try.
According to a new Politico report, some Democratic strategists are finally admitting what conservatives have been saying for years: Their party has been "held hostage" by radical ideologues and identity politics zealots.
Enter Adam Jentleson, former chief of staff to the hoodie-wearing John Fetterman, who apparently thinks he can single-handedly drag his party back from the progressive precipice with his shiny new think tank called "Searchlight." At "a private meeting last month," Jentleson reportedly told Democratic leaders and donors that "We need to break down ideological lanes and reject interest group agendas if we plan to win again."
Oh, how rich. Now they want to "reject interest group agendas"? Where was this wisdom when they were rioting for Black Lives Matter, kowtowing to the Squad, and letting transgender activists mutilate children?
ICYMI: I Totally Voted for This: FBI Wants Us to Report Hospitals Still Butchering Kids
The article reveals that Searchlight's mission is "an explicit rejection of purity tests Jentleson sees as holding the party hostage, the most famous of which became fodder for a highly effective ad Donald Trump used against former Vice President Kamala Harris." Translation: those embarrassing moments when Harris raised her hand to support taxpayer-funded sex changes for illegal immigrants?
Who could have ever guessed that wouldn’t sit well with middle America?
But here's the problem with Jentleson's grand plan—it's like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube. The Democratic Party didn't accidentally stumble into woke orthodoxy; They embraced it with the fervor of religious converts. They've spent years purging moderates, silencing dissent, and elevating the most radical voices in their coalition.
Here’s a perfect example: Last year, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) criticized his own party after the 2024 election for avoiding tough conversations about social issues, specifically citing concerns about biological males competing in women's sports. He said Democrats focus too much on not offending people rather than being honest about Americans' concerns, and personally stated that he didn't want his two daughters "getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete." However, after blowback and protests, he caved. When given the opportunity to act on these stated beliefs, Moulton voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would have banned biological males from competing in girls' school sports under Title IX. He prioritized political considerations over his stated concerns for his daughters' safety in sports.
You can't simply declare "independence from liberal and progressive interest groups" when those groups ARE your party's base.
The fundamental flaw in this whole enterprise is revealed in the article's observation that "At least some of those who heard Jentleson's pitch were frustrated that it sounded duplicative of other efforts." Indeed, groups like Welcome PAC are already trying to occupy the mythical "center" of the Democratic Party. But as one Democratic donor adviser noted, "we already have a bunch of entities who do that."
Exactly. And they’re not working, are they?
Here's what these well-meaning Democrats don't understand: The radical wing of their party isn't some external force that can be diplomatically negotiated with or strategically sidelined. It IS the Democratic Party. The progressives control the universities that train Democratic staffers, the nonprofits that provide the party's intellectual framework, the unions that provide its ground game, and the media ecosystem that shapes its message.
So, don't hold your breath waiting for any meaningful transformation. The radical wing didn't just capture the Democratic Party; they've become its beating heart. And you can't perform surgery on yourself.
