Why Democrats Shouldn’t Worry About Veering Left

Walter Shapiro: “These Democrats-in-disarray columns invariably point out that only with sensible moderation can Donald Trump be defeated in 2020. As for Democratic congressional candidates, particularly first-term House members elected in the 2018 Democratic sweep, their political futures are jeopardized by the extreme antics of ‘the squad’ and the unreasonable demands of these left-wing activists with safe seats.”

“These are fine arguments — and I would probably accept them in a normal political climate. I remember the wipeout years for the Democrats, like 1972 and 1984, when the party was crushed by veering too far from the center in an increasingly conservative political environment.”

“But that was a different era when objective facts still mattered and hyperbole rather than outright lies still ruled political discourse… Trump’s contempt for anything resembling truth has erased this traditional political equation.”