[Correspondent Diary] The US Democratic Party Ablaze Despite Biden's Election Victory

Centrist and Mainstream Camps Blame Radical Left for Congressional Election Failures
Sanders, AOC, and Radical Left Launch Counteroffensive
Division Between Centrists and Radical Left Could Only Provide Trump an Opening for 2024 Run

U.S. Democratic Party's 'Icon of Progressivism' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Member of the House of Representatives
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Baek Jong-min] As soon as the U.S. presidential election ended, discord has already arisen within the Democratic Party, which has secured the next ruling party position. There are concerns that if this continues, the Republican Party could take over the House majority in two years, potentially paralyzing governance in the latter half of the administration.

In this election, centrists and progressives united to prevent President Donald Trump's re-election, but signs of factional conflict are already emerging.

While the mainstream Democratic faction, including President-elect Biden, has leaned toward centrism to secure a winning base, the radical progressive faction is full of dissatisfaction, claiming the party is moving backward in time.

This backlash comes from the unexpected failure to secure the Senate and the reduction of House seats, contrary to expectations that the Democrats would control both the presidency and the Senate.

The recent remarks of Senator Bernie Sanders, who identifies as a socialist, cannot be easily overlooked. Despite leading early in the primary race, Sanders became a key contributor to the Biden administration by joining forces with Biden amid the COVID-19 crisis to ensure victory.

On the 12th, Sanders strongly criticized the mainstream Democrats' behavior in a USA Today op-ed titled "Democrats Are Attacking Radical Left Policies."

He said, "I am proud that the progressive camp worked hard to produce President-elect Joe Biden," but added, "Corporate Democrats are attacking so-called far-left policies like 'Medicare for All' and the 'Green New Deal' in response to disappointing congressional election results. They are completely wrong."

He cited exit polls showing voter support for progressive policies, emphasizing, "Voters want a government that works for everyone, not just a few. That is the right thing to do, and it is the moral thing to do. For the Democratic Party, that is the path to winning elections."

This is a direct rebuttal to the mainstream faction's criticism that the losses in the congressional elections were due to radical left policies being rejected by voters.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's dissatisfaction is even greater. Immediately after Biden's victory was declared, Ocasio-Cortez launched a fierce attack on the Democratic mainstream.

Ocasio-Cortez warned, "The relationship between President-elect Biden and the progressive camp depends on Biden's actions." In an interview with The New York Times (NYT), she dismissed centrist and moderate criticisms blaming progressives for the election results, instead labeling the losing candidates as "easy prey."

NYT noted that over the past few months, Ocasio-Cortez had been a great asset to Biden in targeting Trump but has since changed her stance.

This youngest female federal representative with socialist leanings, a former bartender, is an icon of the progressive movement with 17.16 million Facebook followers and 10.35 million Twitter followers. She was elected in 2018 at the age of 20, defeating a 10-term incumbent Democratic representative, and in this election, she increased her margin over the Republican candidate to secure re-election.

The joint offensive by Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez signals looming dark clouds over the Democratic Party's future. Although centrists and progressives united tightly for a common goal in this election, it remains uncertain whether they can maintain this coalition in the next midterm and presidential elections.

Biden faced significant backlash during the last presidential debate when he said he was unfamiliar with the "Green New Deal" demanded by the radical left.

The Democratic Party's direction remains unclear. It is ambiguous whether to move toward the center or the progressive camp. While the number of those favoring progressivism is growing, the mainstream faction stubbornly insists on centrism to compete with the Republican Party.

Reflecting only one side's position risks accelerating the decline of the Democratic base in Congress, as confirmed by this election.

This election confirmed that variables such as mail-in and early voting had a decisive impact. There is no guarantee that large-scale mail-in voting like this will be implemented in the next election. Black and Latino voters, who generally support the Democratic Party, typically have low turnout rates. This is a "minus factor" for the Democrats in the 2024 presidential election.

Although defeated in the election, President Trump's support base remains unshaken. If Trump maintains the 73 million supporters who backed him this time, it will be difficult to guarantee a Democratic victory in the next election.

Rumors persist that President Trump is preparing to run again in four years. The Republican Party, founded by former President Abraham Lincoln, has effectively become the "Trump Party" just four years after the Trump administration began. The calculating President Trump surely understands the dynamics of the next presidential election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.