Democrats, Enforcing Uniformity, Signal That Centrists Are Unwelcome in Their ‘Big Tent’

Two centrist House Democrats are facing leadership’s wrath for backing a Republican rule change on Tuesday. It’s a fresh example of the party enforcing an orthodoxy, illustrating that the “big tent” it’s presenting to midterm voters has no space for moderates or anyone to the right of the Democratic Socialists of America.Congressman Jared Golden of Maine and his colleague from Washington state, Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, joined the GOP for a rule change to advance a series of bills. Among them was one to safeguard the jobs of lobstermen, legislation for voters back home that wouldn’t have gotten a final vote otherwise.Other bills that will now advance include ones condemning socialism and banning universities from boycotting Israel. Democrats know that having to vote on such legislation will put them in a tight spot as they head home to campaign. They’d thought the matter dead when five conservative Republicans opposed the measure over a spending bill.On the hustings, politicians speak of “crossing the aisle” and “working with the other side” as high ideals. Yet while Republicans accepted their rogues, Democrats are seeking to bring theirs to heel. A statement by the minority leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and two deputies called the defections “a significant breach of trust.”The Democratic Committee on Caucus Rules convened a special meeting to discuss ways to tighten autonomy in the future. On “Meet the Press” two weeks ago, Mr. Jeffries struck a more inclusive tone on candidates from the Democratic Socialists of America or DSA despite his differences with them.“It’s going to be a broad caucus,” Mr. Jeffries said of the majority he hopes to lead as speaker. “There will be progressives. There will be New Dems. There will be blue dogs.” But with states drawing and gerrymandering increasing numbers of safe districts, moderates and swing votes are disappearing.The fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition of Democrats peaked at 54 members in 2009. Today, it has 10. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — the last independent-minded Democrat after Senators Joseph Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona retired — is being threatened with a primary challenge for backing Israel and the war in Iran.Democrats are also down to just one member in either chamber who opposes abortion. As centrists have receded, far-left members are taking their place. When asked if they agree with DSA ideas like abolishing the Senate and Electoral College or expanding the Supreme Court, Democrats fall back on a stock response: They’re a “big tent party.”A GOP strategist, Harvey “Lee” Atwater, used “big tent” in 1989 to describe Republicans welcoming people regardless of their abortion stance. Christopher Matthews — an aide to the former Democratic speaker, Thomas “Tip” O’Neill — explained “the problem with the ‘big tent’ defense” on MS NOW last month.“Every Democrat,” Mr. Matthews said, “has to defend all this crap coming from the left. They’ve got to say, ‘I believe in all this crazy stuff.” He suggested that “a line … has to be drawn by Democrats,” because Republicans are going to campaign to independents, moderates, and conservatives who don’t feel welcome under the rhetorical big top.“I’m telling you,” Mr. Matthews said, “the last six weeks of this election is going to be an attack on” the Democratic nominee for Senate in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed, “the DSA,” and New York City’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mandani. “It’s all going to come out and blame every Democrat for everything the DSA is doing.”Last month at the DNC’s Summer Meeting at Austin, Texas, the former DNC chairman and Virginia governor, Terence McAuliffe, addressed the “political geniuses” who “constantly go on TV and Twitter.” To these “Democrats trashing fellow Democrats,” he said, “I got a simple message for you: Knock it off or get off the playing field.”Mr. McAuliffe’s gatekeeping, the dwindling Blue Dog Coalition, and the treatment of centrists like Mr. Fetterman, Mr. Golden, and Ms. Perez demonstrate a reality that Democrats hope voters overlook. The party may brag about pitching a “big tent,” but its most left-wing members are deciding who’s allowed inside.

Democrats, Enforcing Uniformity, Signal That Centrists Are Unwelcome in Their ‘Big Tent’

Democrats, Enforcing Uniformity, Signal That Centrists Are Unwelcome in Their ‘Big Tent’

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