NO - the Democratic Party should not move to the right. Bill Clinton did that and it damaged the brand for years!
The real failure is VOTERS- ignorant voter, low information voters, one issue voters. Democracy is a PARTICIPATION activity NOT a game show where you sit back to be entertained and choose who did the best job dancing to the tune you like
And then there's the usual tropes being tossed around.
Harris ran a bad campaign
Dems are too linked to "money interests"
I call bullshit.
First, the Biden-Harris administration was the most progressive in decades! Going after monopolies and industry consolidation. Trying for student debt relief and getting fought every step by GOP lawsuits and conservative dominated courts. The Biden economic record was far better than Trump's pre-covid three years! Other than inflation (which was global) the administration created more jobs, onshored industry and stimulated the economy (in a good way) with the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act among others. The administration was more pro-worker and pro-union than any before with Biden and Harris both rallying with striking workers.
Biden's flaw on Gaza was that he is too institutional and I think he figured if he continued strong support he'd have sway with Netanyahu. Biden was also too hesitant to allow Ukraine to take the gloves off in defense against Russian aggression.
Harris was not weak on Ukraine- she expressed unwavering support [1][2] As to Gaza, if people expected her to publicly break with Biden they don't understand either politics nor how one should disagree with one's boss.
Biden was president and the buck stopped there. We don't know what she said behind the scenes. Unfortunately voters chose CERTAINTY (Trump and Kushner condos on the Gaza beaches after ethnic cleansing is completed) over POSSIBILITIES (Harris in office).
Frankly, if the Harris campaign had one major flaw, it was perhaps leaning AWAY from the Biden-Harris record as I noted above. I think they tried to distance themselves from Biden due to his low poll ratings & unpopularity. But leaning in and MAKING THE ARGUMENT over the actual SUCCESSES would have done far better than the distancing. That said, Harris was NOT a bad candidate - I think she ran a really good campaign for as short a time as she had. The Democratic ground game was strong- at least that is what I saw in Michigan as we organized, phone banked, knocked on doors. The Harris campaign visited several times to our state as well as sent in surrogates. It was a far different campaign than the one HRC ran in 2016- I know because I was a candidate for Congress that election and the HRC campaign was self absorbed and stand-offish to local party organizers and county/district Democratic teams. Not so with the Harris campaign.
[1]
Kamala Harris says Ukraine handing over territory is form of surrender, not peace | VOA News
[2]
