I think of someone like former Senator Manchin when I think of Third Way. A guy with an outsized ego who represents no one. Democrats beware. The enemy is the Republicans.
There is no-fucking-way Democrats can win in November (OR ANY TIME) if we keep fighting ourselves over ideologies!!!!! We ALL HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER BEHIND OUR ELECTED CANDIDATES in order to win!!! What-the-fuck is so difficult about understanding that??????!!!!!! Republitards are having a field day over this Third Way idea. I very much admire David Hogg and his enthusiasm, leadership and intelligence, but WE MUST STAY UNITED IF WE EXPECT TO WIN IN NOVEMBER (and later......!!!!!!!!!!). VOTE BLUE!!!! VOTE BLUE!!!! VOTE BLUE!!!! Yes, republitards follow DonOld like lemmings, but it gets these miscreants elected!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My frustration with Third Way is the same frustration I have with David Hogg. Democrats (with very few exceptions) should not be spending their limited funds fighting other Democrats. They should be spending them fighting Republicans. (The very limited exceptions would be Democrats who vote with Republicans more often than not, or who sink widely-held Democratic initiatives, such as voting rights.) Internal pressure can be exerted on Democrats who should retire but don’t.
Third Way might have lost much of its clout, but in critical races they can still throw a spanner in the works, as they flirted with doing in the 2024 presidential race by talking about running a primary challenger like Joe Manchin. In smaller congressional districts and even some senate races, a million dollars or two could make the difference. Their intentional targeting of DSA candidates sounds like a shadow republican op, IMO, and it's not helpful to party unity.
On that unity note, it's really sad to hear some of the things David Hogg is saying these days. He's becoming a progressive mirror of John Fetterman, who says DSA candidates don't belong in the Dem party. Both of them need to shut it until they have something constructive to say.
The Democratic Party's image and reputation are in the toilet because of bullshit centrists like Third Way and the billionaires that fund it who have bought and paid for a Democratic leadership that does just as much to preserve the billionaire loving status quo as the Republicans, just more quietly.
Listen to people not the corporations and “big” money. DNC can lose these elections by not really looking at what’s going on. The same old same old is not going to win. Thank you for this article. Third Way is irrelevant!
Thank you for the article, Susan. I agree it’s kind of a slug fest between those who serve aipac which I have found out that BIBI is trying to purchase votes and antagonize democrats.
After being HACKED and having to change all my information so that I don't pop up an ENEMY like Fauci, Bernie Sanders and "others" that speak against the HATE DWOMEN war by our president, I urge everyone to get educated at what Wall Street "trickle down" polices have done. I became a subscriber to Lincoln Square and even wrote post cards to PA supporting those Democrats. Now, I'm an Independent and Unenrolled as who can I trust? With #47 and team against education and women and not standing up against pedophiles, where are the GOOD guys who will vote in Congress for ANTI-STEAL stuff like my faith led me to follow. Get real and listen to those who are suffering like Jesus and all the other prophets/wise men who have put their lives on the line.... not the GOLD seekers. Time to correct the thinking of those who want REAL FREEDOM, not the FAKE that #47 sells.
I agree with Jon Favereau. Maybe instead of grabbing controversial and IMO damaging headlines about impending internecine warfare in the Democratic Party they might ought to spend time reflecting on why they have become irrelevant.
Obama famously called the run up to an election 'the silly season.' For good reason. Every inclusive political party in the modern era will need a broad tent under which various shades of opinion will work to hash out their differences and real a workable consensus on how to move the consenus off the table and into action.
It's absurd to substitute a label for an understanding of what any democratic candidate stands for. Read what El-Sayed says about what motivates him, which is better policies to support everyday Americans. He is progressive in his views but no more a socialist that Obama or Hillary Clinton were. Maybe a bit more pointed, but no more radical. Geez Louise, communism is deader than a doornail.
SPOT ON, Leigh!! If you actually listen to what El-Sayed is saying in MI and compare it to what Brian Poindexter [running against Max Miller-R Wife and Child Beating] in OH is saying, they're virtually identical. Look back at what moderates like Mikey Sherill in NJ and Abigail Spanberger in VA ran on in 2025, and you can't tell the difference. El-Sayed is part of the mainstream in the Dem party.
Okay, I read Robert Reich this morning and panicked. They sound like a corporate money machine, and their hollering about El-Sayid is so not cool. But yes, deep breath. And someone go knock some sense into Third Way’s leaders, because they are not helping. #voteblue
I’ve wondered if Third Way might not be a Republican operation. While I totally understand the concern about nominating electable candidates - after all, you can’t enact even incremental policies if you’re not in power - the noise is not helpful. Trump and the Republicans are very skilled at sowing division, and taking a chisel to fissures that already exist. Democrats need to do the same to them.
This could be, although Susan’s article traces them back to Bill Clinton. Repubs are getting it that they need to masquerade as Dems in order to succeed — where I live (Massachusetts) we have at least 2 local candidates who were Repubs but are now running in the Democratic primary. I say if they walk like a duck and quack like a duck, they are F***ing Repubs.
A Huey Lewis and the News fan club has more relevance to today’s cultural debate than Third Way does to today’s Democratic Party.
Of course, Huey Lewis and the News is still worth listening to.
I think of someone like former Senator Manchin when I think of Third Way. A guy with an outsized ego who represents no one. Democrats beware. The enemy is the Republicans.
Hear hear!
There is no-fucking-way Democrats can win in November (OR ANY TIME) if we keep fighting ourselves over ideologies!!!!! We ALL HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER BEHIND OUR ELECTED CANDIDATES in order to win!!! What-the-fuck is so difficult about understanding that??????!!!!!! Republitards are having a field day over this Third Way idea. I very much admire David Hogg and his enthusiasm, leadership and intelligence, but WE MUST STAY UNITED IF WE EXPECT TO WIN IN NOVEMBER (and later......!!!!!!!!!!). VOTE BLUE!!!! VOTE BLUE!!!! VOTE BLUE!!!! Yes, republitards follow DonOld like lemmings, but it gets these miscreants elected!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My frustration with Third Way is the same frustration I have with David Hogg. Democrats (with very few exceptions) should not be spending their limited funds fighting other Democrats. They should be spending them fighting Republicans. (The very limited exceptions would be Democrats who vote with Republicans more often than not, or who sink widely-held Democratic initiatives, such as voting rights.) Internal pressure can be exerted on Democrats who should retire but don’t.
Third Way might have lost much of its clout, but in critical races they can still throw a spanner in the works, as they flirted with doing in the 2024 presidential race by talking about running a primary challenger like Joe Manchin. In smaller congressional districts and even some senate races, a million dollars or two could make the difference. Their intentional targeting of DSA candidates sounds like a shadow republican op, IMO, and it's not helpful to party unity.
On that unity note, it's really sad to hear some of the things David Hogg is saying these days. He's becoming a progressive mirror of John Fetterman, who says DSA candidates don't belong in the Dem party. Both of them need to shut it until they have something constructive to say.
The Democratic Party's image and reputation are in the toilet because of bullshit centrists like Third Way and the billionaires that fund it who have bought and paid for a Democratic leadership that does just as much to preserve the billionaire loving status quo as the Republicans, just more quietly.
Listen to people not the corporations and “big” money. DNC can lose these elections by not really looking at what’s going on. The same old same old is not going to win. Thank you for this article. Third Way is irrelevant!
Thank you for the article, Susan. I agree it’s kind of a slug fest between those who serve aipac which I have found out that BIBI is trying to purchase votes and antagonize democrats.
After being HACKED and having to change all my information so that I don't pop up an ENEMY like Fauci, Bernie Sanders and "others" that speak against the HATE DWOMEN war by our president, I urge everyone to get educated at what Wall Street "trickle down" polices have done. I became a subscriber to Lincoln Square and even wrote post cards to PA supporting those Democrats. Now, I'm an Independent and Unenrolled as who can I trust? With #47 and team against education and women and not standing up against pedophiles, where are the GOOD guys who will vote in Congress for ANTI-STEAL stuff like my faith led me to follow. Get real and listen to those who are suffering like Jesus and all the other prophets/wise men who have put their lives on the line.... not the GOLD seekers. Time to correct the thinking of those who want REAL FREEDOM, not the FAKE that #47 sells.
I agree with Jon Favereau. Maybe instead of grabbing controversial and IMO damaging headlines about impending internecine warfare in the Democratic Party they might ought to spend time reflecting on why they have become irrelevant.
Obama famously called the run up to an election 'the silly season.' For good reason. Every inclusive political party in the modern era will need a broad tent under which various shades of opinion will work to hash out their differences and real a workable consensus on how to move the consenus off the table and into action.
It's absurd to substitute a label for an understanding of what any democratic candidate stands for. Read what El-Sayed says about what motivates him, which is better policies to support everyday Americans. He is progressive in his views but no more a socialist that Obama or Hillary Clinton were. Maybe a bit more pointed, but no more radical. Geez Louise, communism is deader than a doornail.
SPOT ON, Leigh!! If you actually listen to what El-Sayed is saying in MI and compare it to what Brian Poindexter [running against Max Miller-R Wife and Child Beating] in OH is saying, they're virtually identical. Look back at what moderates like Mikey Sherill in NJ and Abigail Spanberger in VA ran on in 2025, and you can't tell the difference. El-Sayed is part of the mainstream in the Dem party.
Remember when Kamala had to say "I'm speaking"? The people are speaking now. They better listen or get out of the way.
Okay, I read Robert Reich this morning and panicked. They sound like a corporate money machine, and their hollering about El-Sayid is so not cool. But yes, deep breath. And someone go knock some sense into Third Way’s leaders, because they are not helping. #voteblue
I’ve wondered if Third Way might not be a Republican operation. While I totally understand the concern about nominating electable candidates - after all, you can’t enact even incremental policies if you’re not in power - the noise is not helpful. Trump and the Republicans are very skilled at sowing division, and taking a chisel to fissures that already exist. Democrats need to do the same to them.
This could be, although Susan’s article traces them back to Bill Clinton. Repubs are getting it that they need to masquerade as Dems in order to succeed — where I live (Massachusetts) we have at least 2 local candidates who were Repubs but are now running in the Democratic primary. I say if they walk like a duck and quack like a duck, they are F***ing Repubs.
Well thought out
Thank you for the breath of fresh air.
Didn't realize there was a Third Way. Whew they aren't helpful at all. Excellent article, Susan. Thanks. Take care.