"Former House Rep. Cori Bush thinks she knows why Democrats lost last year, and how they can win in 2028. Sure, the former Squad member also lost last year-she got primaried by another Democrat in August, after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee threw at least $12 million behind her opponent because she had been an outspoken critic of Israel's actions in Gaza."
"Let's take a trip back to August 2024: There was still plentiful optimism about the likelihood of a Kamala Harris win. Democrats were heartened by signs of economic recovery in the years after COVID had shut everything down-but while the fundamental indicators pointed to a healthy economy, the party seemed to sorely underestimate the discontent that inflation was sowing among the electorate."
"Back then, the threat of a second Donald Trump presidency remained for many a somewhat abstract possibility. Elon Musk hadn't yet run through the federal government with a chain saw; we hadn't yet experienced Trump's tariffs; we hadn't yet seen how Trump would demolish democratic norms left and right and deploy the National Guard to U.S. cities. Republicans hadn't yet passed a bill that cuts Medicaid for 15 million Americans over the next decade."
Cori Bush lost her primary after the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent at least $12 million supporting her opponent because she criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. The political moment in August 2024 showed optimism about a Kamala Harris win and signs of economic recovery, but inflation fueled voter discontent. Subsequent Republican actions — tariffs, attacks on democratic norms, National Guard deployments, and legislation that cuts Medicaid and empowers ICE — intensified threats. Democratic base sentiment shifted toward candidates who prioritize fighting back over placating the party establishment, with angry voters demanding more spine at town halls.
Read at Slate Magazine
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