Forget the recent socialist shift — Democrats are ready for an FDR revival

The argument presented in this piece taps into a long-standing tension within the Democratic Party: the divide between its progressive-left wing and its more moderate, pragmatic establishment. The author's framing—that FDR's legacy offers a third path between neoliberal centrism and DSA-style democratic socialism—is a familiar one, echoing the debates that have animated Democratic primaries since 2016. By invoking FDR, the piece appeals to a golden age of Democratic governance when the party was seen as the champion of the working class without being tagged as socialist. However, the piece raises questions that deserve scrutiny from both sides. Proponents of the DSA agenda would argue that FDR's New Deal was itself a radical response to crisis, and that the "practical liberalism" the author champions may be insufficient to address the scale of inequality and climate change facing the nation today. They might contend that the distinction between FDR's programs and modern democratic socialism is more stylistic than substantive. Conversely, critics of the DSA would agree with the author that the "socialist" label remains a liability in general elections, particularly in swing states, and that a candidate who can channel FDR's rhetoric of collective action without the baggage of socialist branding would be better positioned to win. The article's timeline assumption—that 2028 voters will be eager to move past Trump—is plausible but unproven. Political realignments are rarely linear, and the endurance of Trumpism as a force in American politics remains an open question. What the piece does well is to remind readers that the Democratic Party has a rich history of pragmatic, popular economic governance that predates the current ideological battles. Whether that history can be revived without reigniting the internal conflicts that have divided the party is the central challenge facing any future candidate. Source: https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/6043587-democrats-reject-dsa-agenda/