The Washington Examiner’s Joe Concha argued that the Democratic Party has found itself in a “watershed moment” that could either make or break the party depending on what it chooses to prioritize.
Concha’s comment comes after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) received heat for joining Republicans in voting for the continuing resolution, which comes amid increasing division within the Democratic Party as it seeks to determine its leader. While some have floated the possibility of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) competing in a primary against Schumer, Concha noted that some polling data indicate the congresswoman’s favorability among voters is lower than Schumer’s, Vice President Kamala Harris’s, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA).
“So this is a watershed moment right now for the Democrat Party,” Concha, a senior writer for the Washington Examiner, explained on Fox News’s The Story with Martha MacCallum. “They can either pivot to the center and do what Mark Penn recommended in 1994 to President Clinton, where you better work with the Republicans because they just won back the House, or they can continue to go to the Left, like Thelma Louise off the cliff to the left.”
Concha added that it “appears” the Left is winning in this tug-of-war of direction, citing an uptick in television appearances by Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). As such, this increase in exposure of Democratic lawmakers is “exactly” what the Republican Party wants.
Recent polling data found that most respondents believe the Democratic Party’s leaders are taking the party in the wrong direction. The data also found that Ocasio-Cortez held her highest ratings when voters were asked which Democratic leader “best reflects the core values of the Democratic Party.”
HOW REAL IS THE DEMOCRATIC OUTRAGE OVER CHUCK SCHUMER?
Both Crockett and Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) have called for a new lawmaker to replace Schumer’s role as Senate minority leader. The latter lawmaker argued that while Schumer has had “a great, long-standing career,” it might be time for someone else to fill his position.
Crockett, meanwhile, did not rule out the possibility of supporting Ocasio-Cortez in a primary against Schumer. However, she added that such a primary is four years away.