What Left-Wing Democrats Haven’t Learned From Defeat
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Getty.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
If those on the left wing of the Democratic Party hope to exercise power and bend the national party to their will, they might try to stifle any self-righteousness and learn different lessons from Representative Jamaal Bowman’s defeat.
In a primary earlier this week, the soon-to-be-former member of Congress from New York took less than 42 percent of the vote—finishing 17 points behind the winner, Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
Bowman remained curiously unreflective about his varied missteps, particularly his decision to center attacks on Israel in a district with a significant population of liberal Jewish voters whose sympathies for that country run deep.
Last November, he addressed a pro-Palestine rally and insisted that there was “no evidence” Hamas attackers had raped Israeli women. That, he said, was an Israeli “lie.” It was a stunning moment, not least because the evidence of sexual assaults by Hamas is copious. Only when trailing in polls last week—seven months later—did Bowman finally offer a brief apology for those remarks.
Bowman’s supporters sought easy explanations for his defeat, including that redistricting had shifted his district northward out of much of the Bronx and into Westchester. But Bowman in fact had fared well in the predominantly Democratic suburban county in his 2020 and 2022 campaigns.
Meanwhile, claims that the massive spending of pro-Israel groups was responsible for Bowman’s defeat warrant skepticism. But as the writer Alexis Grenell pointed out in T he Nation , Bowman’s rhetoric was undisciplined and incendiary, while Latimer was a popular local politician whose internal polls showed him leading by double digits before AIPAC spent anything.
The Bronx rally offered a glimpse, too, of the sectarianism that routinely afflicts the left. Pro-Palestine protesters from Within Our Lifetime showed up and beat drums and chanted throughout the rally, doing their best to disrupt the proceedings.
They denounced Bowman, Ocasio-Cortez, and Sanders as “Zionists” who backed “Genocide Joe” for president. The protesters reached an impressively overwrought peak with the chants: “AOC, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.” At rally’s end, protesters charged the candidates’ bus and defaced its flanks with stickers and handwritten slogans.
Many mainstream Democrats seem less and less patient with the activist left. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and possible future speaker, would have none of the Bowman camp’s talk of martyrdom.
He has often tangled with DSA and Justice Democrats, and agreed to record a single robocall for the embattled Bowman. Jeffries took a noticeably removed and dispassionate view of that loss. “The results speak for themselves. The voters have spoken,” he said, sounding less than distraught. A senior Jeffries adviser later noted on social media that the minority leader has now supported six candidates challenged by DSA, and his candidates have won all six races.
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If those on the left wing of the Democratic Party hope to exercise power and bend the national party to their will, they might try to stifle any self-righteousness and learn different lessons from Representative Jamaal Bowman’s defeat.
In a primary earlier this week, the soon-to-be-former member of Congress from New York took less than 42 percent of the vote—finishing 17 points behind the winner, Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
He got what he deserved.
Bowman remained curiously unreflective about his varied missteps, particularly his decision to center attacks on Israel in a district with a significant population of liberal Jewish voters whose sympathies for that country run deep.
Last November, he addressed a pro-Palestine rally and insisted that there was “no evidence” Hamas attackers had raped Israeli women. That, he said, was an Israeli “lie.” It was a stunning moment, not least because the evidence of sexual assaults by Hamas is copious. Only when trailing in polls last week—seven months later—did Bowman finally offer a brief apology for those remarks
There was no evidence that this guy belonged in Congress.
Obviously he's one of those P.T.Barnum is reputed to have talked about.
Actually, those who voted for him qualified more to be described as such.
IIRC that's:
"There's a sucker born every minute"?
Or is it a different quote?
One of those P.T.Barnum is reputed to have talked about.
IIRC that's:
"There's a sucker born every minute"?
Or is it a different quote?
I'm thinking of a quote from Samuel Clemens:
Suppose I was an idiot. And suppose I was a member of Congress. But I repeat myself....
#MarkTwain #PTBarnum #idiot #Congress
No. Actually it really isn't a good reference anyway.
Don't know about that one, cause not ALL members of Congress are idiots, but there are a lot of them.
Meanwhile, claims that the massive spending of pro-Israel groups was responsible for Bowman’s defeat warrant skepticism. But as the writer Alexis Grenell pointed out in T he Nation , Bowman’s rhetoric was undisciplined and incendiary, while Latimer was a popular local politician whose internal polls showed him leading by double digits before AIPAC spent anything.
Many mainstream Democrats seem less and less patient with the activist left. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader and possible future speaker, would have none of the Bowman camp’s talk of martyrdom.
That's good news.
Perhaps I haven't been following it closely enough-- but it seems that (hopefully!) an increasing number of both Democrats as well as Republicans are starting to become disgusted with some of the more extremists politicians in their ranks...
Remember what Andy Dufresne wrote to Red in the movie The Shawshank Redemption.
“Remember, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
That was a great story. I never saw the movie.
You really should watch it - it was an excellent movie.
One down, three more squad members to go.
I don't follow "The Squad" closely--- I mainly notice notice if there's a big headline about them (or one of their members)> And I remember when they started--- it seems like for a long time there were only four members.
With the defeat of this racist a$$hole, I was curious-- so I googled it.
Well, to my surprise, several more have joined!
With the defeat of this racist a$$hole, I was curious-- so I googled it. Well, to my surprise, several more have joined!
The nine members of the Squad: Founding members
Subsequent additions
Okay make it four. I forgot to add Bush. They are the worst ones.
Bush = really nasty person.
I am somewhat familiar with all of these-- except for the last three. (Casar, Lee, Ramirez). I googled them but I didn't have time to read up on them thoroughly.
Oh yeah, but they all are!