The Left Faces Its Own Tea Party Moment

The “Berniecrats” are rising, leading many to worry about the future of the Democratic Party. Democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who is a candidate for Congress in New York’s 14th district, recently floated the idea of creating a sub-caucus of progressives that would vote together as a block in Congress. This caucus would likely function similarly to the Freedom Caucus on the right, an ideologically hard-line group of GOP members who are often an obstructionist headache for Republicans when it comes time to pass legislation.

This, along with the recent uptick in progressive primary challenges during the current election cycle, is creating a “Tea Party” moment for the Left. We are likely to see an influx of far-left progressives in Congress in the years to come, but it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to get caught up demanding ideological purity of all those within its ranks. A caucus made up of far-left progressives could easily devolve into a group that holds the Democratic legislative agenda hostage if it doesn’t live up to their ideological standards. Former House Speaker John Boehner was in constant battle with Tea Party conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, a group that played a central role in the 2013 government shutdown, opposed any efforts at consensus, and led the charge to push Boehner from his role in 2015.

The rise in power and influence of the Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party has created a hunger among grassroots progressive voters for candidates who perfectly fit the democratic socialist mold, supporting policies like $15 minimum wage, free public college, and Medicare for all. Groups like Our Revolution are working to mobilize grassroots progressives in support of far-left Democratic candidates, and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have seen a surge in membership. DSA member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory over favored establishment incumbent Joseph Crowley, a potential future Speaker of the House, is an upset reminiscent of Tea Party victories over establishment GOP candidates. 

During the height of the Tea Party wave, primary challengers were able to successfully brand establishment Republicans as faux conservatives. The most prominent example was Eric Cantor’s stunning 2014 primary loss to Dave Brat. Cantor was a darling of the Republican establishment and poised to be elected Speaker, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Brat’s ideological purity and anti-establishment appeal. 

Now, in the Trump era, it’s establishment Republicans who don’t wear the “Make America Great Again” hat proudly enough that are threatened by pro-Trump primary challengers. A recent example of this is the primary loss of long-time incumbent Rep. Mark Sanford to his Trump-supporting opponent Katie Arrington.

While the Right is currently rewarding politicians who rally around the president, the Left is enthralled with fresh faces who represent a far-left shift in ideology. In the wake of her victory, Ocasio-Cortez has become an instant left-wing star, with many saying she is the Democratic Party’s future.

But if that future involves ideological rigidity, obstructionist tactics in Congress, and strict litmus tests for candidates, then the Democrats should reject it. Nancy Pelosi has warned Democrats against getting too carried away with issues such as single-payer healthcare, a policy proposal that many Democratic senators like Kamala Harris and Corey Booker quickly adopted in order to boost their progressive credentials ahead of potential 2020 presidential runs. But as the Democrats march their platform leftward, they should exercise caution and learn from the Republicans’ ideological dysfunction, a remnant of the Tea Party revolution.

Veteran GOP political consultant Frank Luntz spoke about this dysfunction in a 2017 VICE documentary, “A House Divided”:

There’s a segment of the Republican Party that would rather blow everything up than try to fix it; and they believe that they’re acting on principle. But principle is not the be-all-and-end-all. It is a blood sport.

Principle matters, but it should not be weaponized for partisan purposes that impede the business of governing.

That said, the Democrats should not completely abandon their leftward swing. In many ways, the party’s embrace of more left-wing policies, combined anti-Trump messaging, will likely propel them to great victory in the 2018 midterms and possibly even in 2020.

In sum, the party should pay due attention to its progressive base, but it should not get caught up in trying to please its most far-left voters. It is the party of proud progressives like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, but also of moderates like Pennsylvania Congressman Conor Lamb and North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp. Democrats should keep this in mind and welcome everyone under the blue tent. More independent-minded Americans like myself have become disillusioned with partisan gridlock in Washington, and the last thing we want is for another political party to fall victim to ideological warfare. 

Scott Bledsoe is a public relations assistant at Young Voices and master’s candidate in political communication at American University in Washington D.C.