Putting aside the undemocratic and elitist nature of this philosophy, it creates a self-sustaining, destructive cycle. Not only are donors’ interests different than working-class interests, but it also turns the relationship between the Democratic Party and its supporters into one of lecturer and lectee. That would be bad enough on its own, but when you add in that many of these lectures are naked attempts to sell unpopular, grotesque policies that benefit the elite and sacrifice basic morality, we can see why the Democratic brand is underwater, even with its most loyal supporters.
Two recent episodes show the poisonous nature of the Democrats’ top-down thinking.
Earlier this week, two competing Palestine resolutions were introduced to the resolution panel at the Democratic National Committee’s annual summer meeting. The first, put forth by 26-year-old progressive Allison Minnerly, called for an arms embargo on Israel and immediate recognition of a Palestinian state. Both these positions reflect the will of not only Democratic voters, but also Americans. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 75% of Democratic voters, 66% of Independents, and 60% of Americans oppose sending military aid to Israel. It also found that half of all American voters think Israel is committing genocide (77% of Democrats and 51% of Independents).1 By all available evidence, Minnerly’s resolution matches the will of Democratic voters, the sentiment of most Americans, and, most important of all, reality. Even the Israel-based observers B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights have called Israel’s actions a genocide, joining the global consensus.2Recognizing reality is often good politics, as is being proven by Zohran Mamdani’s healthy lead over pro-Israel centrists, and the growing number of former AIPAC donees who are now refusing the group’s money in the 2026 midterms.3