Democratic “Moderation” Isn’t What Produced the Wave

You can watch this episode of Right Now With Perry Bacon above or by following this show on YouTube or Substack. You can read a transcript here.The midterms were not a story of Democratic moderation, political scientists Adam Bonica and Jake Grumbach argue. Instead, they say that Democrats won everywhere due to strong turnout among left-leaning voters, weaker turnout among conservatives, and some voters flipping to Democrats because of anger at President Trump. Increased Black turnout in the South and Latino voters in the Southwest swinging back against Republicans were particularly huge factors, according to the two scholars. The two emphasized that Democrats across the country won by employing an anticorruption message. Looking forward, Bonica, who teaches at Stanford University, says Democrats can take actions to address corruption and billionaire power within the House of Representatives and other institutions they will control, without needing Trump’s signature. Grumbach, who teaches at the University of California, Berkeley, says the results are the latest indication that all kinds of candidates can win elections. Therefore, in upcoming primaries, Democratic voters should focus on policies and candidates they like, rather than polls and perceptions of electability.