(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Is Iowa in play? The Senate? The Democrats' 2026 opportunities are increasing [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-24
"If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected" — Sun Tzu: The Art of War
The next election
In American politics, the next election is always around the corner. As the Democrats gear up for the 2026 midterms, they must answer three questions. Who's going to lead the fight? How are they gonna fight? And where are they going to fight?
Before answering, let me anticipate potential comments. Anytime I mention a future election, a small fraction of the Daily Kos commentariat pooh-pooh the idea there will be an election. Or if there is an election, they say it will be fixed. Therefore, why bother? That is pure defeatism.
Trump and MAGA want to slit democracy's throat. And failing that, they will try to rig the election. Maybe they will succeed. And if they do, then the resistance will have to take a different form. But until that happens, Democrats must assume there will be an election. Figure out how to win it. And hire lawyers, poll watchers, and whomever else to defeat a fix.
Who?
Chuck Schumer has no charisma. Hakeem Jeffries has no fire. Schumer never will be a movement leader. Jeffries has yet to prove he can be. And what is the DNC doing? Seriously? They elected a new Chair , but I've heard nothing since. What am I missing? The only passion I see there is from David Hogg. And the only action I have seen from the DNC's leadership is to tell him to shut up .
The Democrats need to look elsewhere for their resistance/election leaders. Bernie and AOC — the Left's old mononym and young acronym — can turn out the people and fire them up. Peter Buttigieg gets well-deserved plaudits for taking the Democratic fight to Fox News. Corey Booker showed his commitment to the cause for 25 straight hours .
The Democrats' deepest bench is their governors, but there are plenty of other candidates. Now is the time for them to show up. It's not my place to identify them. It's their job to stand up and be counted.
How?
I can't tell you specifics — it's not my expertise. But I do know that the answer involves passion, enthusiasm, and an actionable plan that converts campaign energy into winning electoral results. In 2024, Kamala Harris created buzz. But the Party did not convert the hype into victory.
Perhaps the Democrats should rely less on A-list celebrities and more on regular folk. They have to bury the 'out-of-touch Party of elites' albatross. (I’m just spitballing) They also need to destroy the myth that Republicans are better for people's pocketbooks. That shouldn't be hard. Trump is giving them a huge assist.
In addition, can the 'purists' please get over themselves? I will vote Democratic regardless of whether the Party ends up centrist or significantly further to the Left. The mission is clear — defeat Trump and MAGA. People who hold out for everything usually end up with nothing.
Where?
Iowa — not just Iowa, of course — but the Hawkeye State is interesting. Obama won it twice, but it has not gone Democratic since. In 2024, Harris lost it by 13 points. However, the incumbent Republican Governor, Kim Reynolds, is not running in 2026.
More importantly, Iowa is a farm state, and Trump's tariff gyrations are hammering farmers. Even if Trump completely chucks his anti-trade policies — and the sense here is that he will — farmers will still suffer from the stress of uncertainty. Especially as Trump's enthusiasm for expelling brown people, including agricultural laborers, continues unquenched.
What the hell would farmers lose with the Democrats in power anyway? Has the Left threatened farm subsidies? A Democrat with a clue has a good chance.
Note: Democrats could well start with a 2025 gubernatorial win in Virginia . A. run in the top of the first doesn't win the game, but a lead is a lead.
This brings us to the Senate. Current wisdom is that winning the House is doable, but the Senate is out of reach. However, two US House special elections in Florida saw a 15+% swing to the Democrats in less than six months despite the seats remaining Republican.
If the Democrats (under the right leadership and running a compelling campaign) can maintain that kind of improvement, then they have a chance to flip Senate seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas — all states the Republicans won by 11% or less in 2020.
On paper, winning even one or two seems like a stretch. But consider this. In 2022, after SCOTUS overturned Roe, Kansas put an anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution up for a vote. The political solons predicted the anti-abortionists would win — but with a margin less than Trump's 15% margin in 2020. Instead, the pro-choice side won by 18%.
Conclusion
Democrats and their apologists are always ready with excuses when the Party fails. Here are a few: The media is biased. Racists. The courts are unfair. Misogynists. The GOP rigs elections. Stupid people. Gerrymandering. The reader can name a few more.
Boo effing hoo. Those are the cards you were dealt. Play them. And if you want better cards next time, stop crying and figure out how and where to get them. There are no Marquis of Queensbury rules in politics. No moral victories. Don't whine — win. And if you don't win, get up, dust yourself off, learn from the experience, and fight better the next time — and don't whine.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/24/2318006/-Is-Iowa-in-play-The-Senate-Democrats-must-decide-today-where-they-will-fight-in-2026?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
