Governor Newsom recently acknowledged the Democratic Party’s ‘toxic’ brand, citing low favorability ratings and a disconnect with the public. This echoes themes in Ezra Klein’s book, where he discusses the ‘liberal paradox’ – the idea that well-intentioned progressive policies can sometimes lead to outcomes that undermine their own goals.
In California, we see this paradox playing out daily. Despite nearly 50 years of Democratic Party majorities in the legislature, we face a homelessness crisis, poverty, a housing crisis, increasing income inequality, and declining air quality in many areas. These are not abstract issues; they directly impact the lives of millions.
Is it possible that the core progressive worldview itself is contributing to these failures, and requires a complete reevaluation? Conversely, could it be argued that a more radical application of progressive principles, through increased state intervention and redistribution, is the solution?
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Governor Newsom recently acknowledged the Democratic Party’s ‘toxic’ brand, citing low favorability ratings and a disconnect with the public. This echoes themes in Ezra Klein’s book, where he discusses the ‘liberal paradox’ – the idea that well-intentioned progressive policies can sometimes lead to outcomes that undermine their own goals.
In California, we see this paradox playing out daily. Despite nearly 50 years of Democratic Party majorities in the legislature, we face a homelessness crisis, poverty, a housing crisis, increasing income inequality, and declining air quality in many areas. These are not abstract issues; they directly impact the lives of millions.
Is it possible that the core progressive worldview itself is contributing to these failures, and requires a complete reevaluation? Conversely, could it be argued that a more radical application of progressive principles, through increased state intervention and redistribution, is the solution?
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Newsom talking about a toxic brand is rich considering that when people say “coastal elite” they’re talking about him
The issue is that Democrats are, fundamentally, a small-C conservative institution. The Right has transformed into a "burn it all down" sort of populist party hell bent on destroying the system, which is popular because people have been getting crushed by the system for decades and are sick of it. The Right’s grievances and methods are primarily cultural in nature – they are in fact entrenching the economic system crushing people in the first place – but they are taking a sledgehammer to institutions which is something that jives with people who are desperate for somebody to "do something".
The issue Democrats have is that they are the ones fundamentally defending the system and wanting to work within it, tweak it, and let it work. They’re institutionalists. That’s a toxic brand given what I said earlier about people wanting change.
They should be at the very least active reformists pushing for groundbreaking reform if not outright Left Populists themselves – just with an economic agenda instead of the GOP’s cultural one. Instead, they take an institutionalist approach which results in half measures that never actually solve the problem. Failure to tax the rich, failure to build cheap housing, poor regulatory appartus, all borne out of a desire to work within the system and not alienate the center.
The problems exist because Dems are not progressive enough not because the progressive worldview has failed, and it’s very telling given your flair that you think what Dems are doing is progressive let alone Leftist.
Go take a look at an actual Leftist forum and not a Liberal one if you want to see for yourself.
Well, Klein lays out a solution: focus on deregulating the government from itself.
Conservatives tout deregulation to free business. He’s against that.
He’s in favor of streamlining government to actually be effective, particularly in terms of public projects
Weather thats more or less progressive is up to you.
California just throwing money at the homeless problem is a great example of how Dems think all they need to do is spend or authorize the money to be spent is all that they need to do. They need to pay close attention to see if the results are what they actually want.
He’s having bigots on his podcast now. The direction he’s going in is HEAVILY not it. I am in favor of core progressive values being the values.
Progressivism has NOT been ascendant now or ever, so Idk why people keep claiming we need to stop being so progressive and that was driving people away. It wasn’t. We can’t even get proper universal healthcare or student loan forgiveness through.
I hate the fact they are submitting to bullies in an effort to appease them. the reason the the approval rating is so low is because the most of the party leaders have no spine. The exception being AOC and Bernie they are firing up the liberal. Democrats dont know how to be bullies.
Democratic candidates are not “toxic” as we have recently seen.
Conservative Democratic Party leadership is what’s toxic. It’s dragging the candidates down and is what Newsom enables and is part of.
Newsom is part of the toxin.
Also, that book is garbage. It’s the exact same bullshit that Vance used in Greenland as annexation rationalization.
It’s not "the core progressive worldview" that is the problem. The problem is that there are progressives who are satisfied if their boxes are ticked on a piece of legislation, and (more populous) neoliberals looking out for their donors’ interests. So the result is that government programs are basically "we’ll give you money to do this, but you have to go through a years long nightmare of paperwork that includes things like a statement on how you’d make sure more women are hired into construction, and probably pay lots of consultancies owned by people who happen to be our friends to do so," and take forever to show results. If they ever do.
It’s the dumbest "identity politics" that democrats like to tout that makes them "progressives" coupled with the most corrupt, slow bureaucracy you can think of to funnel money to wealthy people. This is what happens when there isn’t any leadership in the party to establish a core set of ideals to rally around, and that doesn’t give a damn whether government actually works for people or solves problems.
There is absolutely 100% no way to fix this without cutting off the drug. The drug is Russian propaganda.
The premise that California is a pure example of progressive ideology is flawed in and of itself. California is the home of Silicon Valley and has bent to the will of tech companies time and time again. They pass certain progressive ideas, but the state government is as rabidly capitalist as they come and not changing any time soon. LA is maybe the most economically segregated city I’ve ever been in.
And regarding air quality, isn’t this significantly impacted by the extended fire season and droughts?
First of all there is nothing progressive about nimbyism, anyone who claims to be a progressive but opposes upzoning single family neighborhoods is a small C conservative and should be rightfully shunned for calling themselves a progressive. As a actual progressive myself, the true progressive YIMBY movement, is the actual progressive movement we care about Increasing housing density everywhere, ending single family zoning, reducing red tape, reducing permitting times, and increasing transit availability everywhere, because cars fucking suck and no true progressive opposes transit. It’s largely actually conservatives that wanna reopen pedestrian streets to cars, oppose upzoning of single family neighborhoods, endorse NIMBY candidates like Donald Trump, and trying to kill the highspeed rail instead of supporting fast tracking bills to make it cheaper and easier to build. Democrats aren’t perfect at all, but atleast they are willing to solve these issues, the GOP is full of whiny people who call out problems, but oppose all solutions so they can use them as political talking points. However I’m thankful our state Legislature seems to care now with state senators like Scott wiener leading massive YIMBY reforms like SB 79, and various other YIMBY bills and transit bills, that will deliver actual results. Also I wanna mention that progressive values include protecting minorities and lgbtq folk from being ostracized from society, nothing creates that more than segregation caused by single family zoning and blocking of housing at all income levels, if your a progressive NIMBY you are actively being pro segregation not anti gentrification, anti gentrification would be building your way out of the housing crisis, not actively contributing to it by obstructing all housing in your backyard.