[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by opendoor

I can't imagine any modern-day mainstream Democratic politician advocating for the sweeping change in economic and social policies that people like FDR or LBJ enacted. Modern-day Democrats couldn't even get an impotent version of universal health care passed when they had a supermajority.

The Democratic party's foundation for most of the 20th century was working class voters, farmers, union labor, racial minorities, and progressives. As a result of that wide coalition, they absolutely dominated Congress; in the 64-year period between 1931 and 1995, they held control of the Senate for 54 years and the House for 60 years. But after Reagan, they basically gave that up in order to be more business-friendly, favoring tax cuts and deregulation, which has led to a significant rise in income inequality. Now we're at the point where there's little difference in the economic policies put in place by Democrats vs Republicans.

Now their main differentiation from Republicans is social issues, but even then they seem to focus more on performative token gestures (singing God Bless America after passing a gun bill, kneeling in the Capitol, reciting poetry after Roe v Wade was overturned) than actual policy. This is not only totally ineffective, but the tone deaf theatrics also turn off a pretty significant portion of working class voters who should be their base. So even when they advocate for things that generally have broad support (maintaining Roe v Wade, same-sex marriage, etc.) it's not enough to get people to vote for them.

And this has serious consequences beyond federal politics as well. From the '60s to the early '90s, the Democratic party also dominated state legislatures and governorships. There was a near 20-year period in the '70s and '80s where Republicans never had full control of more than 5 states at any time; right now they have 24 states where they control both houses and have a Republican Governor.

I don't disagree with that - but they are still further left then they ever have been.