August 24, 2026
Why are some establishment Democrats willing to cut deals with the very political forces they claim to be fighting? Danielle Moodie joins Wajahat Ali to examine the growing anger inside the Democratic Party over backroom politics, establishment power, and alliances that leave progressive voters asking who their own party is really fighting for. The conflict inside the party has intensified as progressive and outsider candidates score major primary victories, while Democratic leaders and campaign organizations increasingly intervene in contested races. Some Democrats argue these moves are necessary to win elections; critics see them as the establishment protecting its power and preferred candidates. Danielle argues that the bigger problem is a political culture in which party insiders can publicly oppose the right while making strategic compromises behind the scenes—and often spend more energy fighting progressives who threaten the existing power structure. She has also criticized what she describes as an establishment obsession with protecting corporate and institutional interests over grassroots demands.
