Democrats have a habit of mistaking paperwork for passion. They write white papers, launch commissions, and call it leadership, while Republicans wrap themselves in symbols and spectacle. Stuart Stevens put it plainly: “You can’t approach voters as if you’re calling on people to do jury duty.” People want to feel a fight, not a process, and that means naming villains out loud — whether it’s Elon Musk holding critical infrastructure hostage or billionaires hoarding wealth that could fund Social Security.
Wajahat Ali argued that the rot goes deeper than policy. Democrats cling to “civility politics” even as MAGA answers them with “fuck you” and “Let’s go Brandon.” He painted the picture of “Chet” at the diner — the guy the party keeps chasing at the expense of immigrants, unions, and trans people — and asked why anyone would expect loyalty from a base that’s constantly bargained away. The contrast is why figures like AOC and Zoran Mamdani break through: They don’t hedge; they stake a claim.
Conviction matters more than calculation. Stevens reminded us that “strong and wrong will always beat weak and right. But you can also be strong and right.” That’s what makes leaders like J.B. Pritzker and Gavin Newsom effective — not perfection, but the willingness to fight without apology. When Democrats hesitate, they send the signal that their own message doesn’t move them, so why should it move anyone else? Belief is contagious; timidity is terminal.
Race sharpened the stakes even further. “Trump’s coalition in ‘20 was 85 percent white. In ‘24, it’s 84 percent,” Stevens said, connecting the math to the memory of Mississippi pools filled in rather than integrated. Wajahat added the same lesson from history: “They used to drain swimming pools in this country rather than integrate them.” Cruelty is the point, and always has been the point.
Tune in for the entire conversation with Stuart Stevens and Wajahat Ali and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
