Profiles in Triangulation
Centrist Democrats have always postured as bold realists dispensing hard-headed truths. But there’s nothing bold or courageous about deferring to corporate interests instead of your progressive base.
John Hickenlooper speaks during the California Democrats’ 2019 State Convention on June 1 in San Francisco, CA. Justin Sullivan / Getty
For evidence of the growing divide between the Democratic Party’s conservatively minded leadership and its progressive-oriented base, look no further than the recent party convention in California.
Probably anticipating a degree of polite deference, two presidential candidates made separate attempts to lecture the assembled 4,500 delegates about the perils of pursuing a transformative agenda — and were met with resounding and audible boos from the crowd.
Using his appearance to issue an all-too-familiar (and incorrect) denunciation of Medicare for All, former Maryland congressman John Delaney declared:
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