Progressives Can Win Only One Kind of Election
The left’s focus on social media is a real benefit to Democrats, but it has the greatest impact in low-turnout races.
Not necessarily a winning electoral slogan.
Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images North AmericaThe American left has a romantic self-conception as a movement of the masses. But its actual strength is concentrated in the minority of the population that is highly educated. This tension has led to an odd dynamic: To put it bluntly, the fewer people paying attention, the better the left does.
Consider last week’s election in New York City, which saw the largest turnout for a primary since at least 1989. A long-planned progressive breakthrough fizzled as left-wing candidates Maya Wiley, Scott Stringer and Diane Morales combined for a disappointing 30% of first-choice ballots in a field dominated by tough-on-crime ex-cop Eric Adams. Wiley is still technically still in the hunt under the city’s ranked-choice voting system, but a victory is unlikely.