Corporate Democrats Must Realize the Enemy Is Trump and the Fascists—Not Progressives

In the early 1930s moderate and leftists Germans attacked each other as badly as they attacked Hitler and the Nazis.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) was a large democratic socialist party supporting parliamentary democracy, often joined Weimar Republic governments, and generally favored gradual reform.

The Communist Party ("KPD") considered themselves revolutionary socialists and believed that the capitalist system should ultimately be overthrown.

The SPD and KPD were both mass parties in the 1920-'30s, each getting millions of votes and turning out tens of thousands of people in mass demonstrations. But they considered themselves enemies. Their supporters literally fought each other in the streets.

The KPD considered the SPD to be "social fascists," as dangerous as the Nazis.

SPD leaders believed the KPD sought to destroy parliamentary democracy and regarded themselves as defenders of constitutional government against extremists on their left and right. SPD-controlled governments had also used police against KPD organizations and demonstrations.

In the last democratic elections in November of 1932, the SPD received 20.43% of the vote, the KPD received 16.86% of the vote and the Nazi Party received 33.09% of the vote. Thus the combined SPD and KPD received a Parliamentary plurality of 37.29% of the vote compared to the Nazi's 33.09%. But with the SPD and KPD refusing to unite, German President Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor. Soon after, Hitler outlawed both parties on the left, arrested many of their leaders, and subsequently started to send them to concentration camps.

Today, there are real political differences between Democratic so-called "moderates" and Democratic "progressives." But until the mid-term elections, the great danger that must be defeated is MAGA-style fascims. If Democrats do not win at least one (or hopefully) both Houses of Congress, there will be little to block at least two more years of escalating Trumpian authoritarianism which could effectively destroy the Republic.

Between now and November, Democratic moderates and progressives need to form a United Front against MAGA. They need to avoid the mistakes of the German left in the 1930s. For the immediate term—whether there are differences of opinion about Medicare for All or US aid to Israel—the focus must be on fighting MAGA and winning congressional seats for Democrats, whether the nominees in the general election are moderate or progressive.

On paper, Democratic candidates seem to be moving in this direction. In Michigan the moderate Democratic loser, Haley Stevens, and the progressive Democratic winner, Abdul El Sayed spoke on the phone and Stevens endorsed El Sayed. On social media, Stevens posted that she if offering El Sayed "my full support as we work to defeat Mike Rogers this November."

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke on the phone with El Sayed, and Schumer reportedly telling the Michigan nominee, "I don’t need you to like me. I just need you to win." “We had a really good conversation,” Schumer said. “I told him I think we’d agree on things: Beat Rogers, win Michigan, take back the Senate. He said I agree on all three.” Schumer added that his takeaway from the call was that “we have more that unites us than divides us."

But a meaningful Democratic United Front will take more than rhetoric. Control of Congress is likely to be extraordinarily close. Democratic moderates must not only say nice things about progressive nominees. They must use their money and their supporters to campaign as strongly for them as they would if their preferred moderates had won the nominations. And for their part, progressive nominees need to take a temporary break from attacking moderate Democrats as mere corporate tools. In a post primary interview, El-Sayed described Schumer as “pragmatic”—a pulled punch if ever there was one.

But it's concerning that some so-called moderate Democrats are more intent on the progressive nominees losing the general election than on defeating MAGA. Jonathan Cowan, president of Third Way, a leading corporate-friendly Democratic group told the New York Times that it is preparing a new $15 million effort "to discredit" democratic socialism. According to the Times, the "group plans to target the Democratic Socialists of America movement, which he believes poses a 'mortal danger' for Democrats. Cowan told the newspaper that the effort "would include opposition research into DSA, polling, social media programs and educating Democratic activists and leaders. It would target both proud democratic socialists and those such as Dr. El-Sayed, whom he derided as performing the 'DSA dodge'— flirting with democratic socialists enough to get their organizing manpower and support while remaining distant enough to avoid the explicit label."

Meanwhile, former Bill Clinton campaign advisor James Carville proclaimed that Darializa Avila Chevalier, whom a majority of New York Democratic voters chose to run for Congress, should not be seated by the Democratic caucus if she wins the seat, as is likely. He said of Chevalier, “I ain't in the same party as you,” and explicitly proposed that Democrats consider the word “schism.” Comedian Bill Maher—who now describes himself as "left of center, slightly"—recently said that if progressives dominate the Democratic Party, he would consider supporting JD Vance or Marco Rubio in 2028.

These so-called "moderate" Democrats are imitating the 1930s German left. If their efforts help MAGA to retain Congress they will be repressed along with the "progressives." Eventually, they could all end up sharing the same jail cells.