Corporate Dems Are Proving Unpopular. Independents and Democrats Gravitate to Progressives with Real Solution

Corporate establishment Dems had a very tough night last night and have had a very tough primary season. They keep losing because Independent voters and most Dems are gravitating to grassroots, progressive/economic populist/democratic socialist candidates who are not corporate or AIPAC funded.

The mandate is no longer avoidable: The notion of “The Center” does not work for most voters.

We are not a monolith in this country, and we are now, a country of mostly independents, not a magical fairyland called “The Center.”

The most successful candidates are campaigning on proven solutions that address the top problems in their district, not “Centrist” or “Moderate” solutions. Each district has different policy needs, but very few are interested in moderation or centrism when it comes to solving problems.

But many corporate, centrist Dems still believe in one-size-fits-all, and that size is called “The Center.”

Let’s take a look at what James Carville (a former Bill Clinton senior adviser, who has not talked to a voter in 25 years) and the whole cooky, fun-loving gang of Corporate Dems believe versus reality in the U.S.: They believe being “Centrist,” which means forcing voters to accept highly diluted solutions that are corporate-friendly and anti-middle class and working families, always wins elections.

Hmmm, unfortunately for them, it looks like it does not.

For months now, Senator Chuck Schumer, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Scarborough, Jonathan Martin, and the New Dem caucus in Congress have been telling us some version of, “if we just stay in the ‘center’, everything will be fine, and the American people will love us.”

Here’s the problem. People don’t like watered-down solutions that don’t work. People don’t like being gouged by large corporations every day. People don’t like that billionaires do not pay their fair share. And, people hate corporate Dems taking their campaign donations and, in turn, protecting billionaires and their businesses.

How do we know this?

45% of voters ( in every electorate composition poll for the last four years) identify as Independents in the U.S.

Independent voters want action and real solutions, not watered-down pablum.

Independent voters vote on issues, NOT based on the notion of being “centrist. “

Those issues are 1. a fair economy 2. stopping billionaires and corporations from gouging them 3. fixing our failing healthcare system 4. stop funding wars 5. more choices and options 6. fair and humane immigration policies

As such, independents are voting for fighters, not folders in primaries. And they definitely do not want corporate Dems and their brand of vanilla do-nothing policies, called “centrism.”

However, Dem leaders keep grousing: “What works in New York, does not work elsewhere.” I agree, because the candidates who are beating establishment Dems are winning based on solutions voters want, not watered-down, nineties-style policies. And, guess what that means? Each progressive or Democratic Socialist or Democratic populist is winning based on different things, because each district is different.

What a concept!

Wait a second, you mean the establishment is wrong?

The facts are the facts…

Congressional seats in the 2026 primary, where progressive/populist/Democratic Socialists are winning :

In Colorado, Milat Kiros beat a 30-year establishment Dem

In Pennsylvania, Chris Raab beat two establishment players

In Illinois, Daniel Biss beat a very well-funded establishment player

In New York, two progressive/DSA candidates beat two other establishment incumbents

In California, populist progressive Randy Villegas beat the establishment pick

In Michigan, Progressive Will Lawrence beat two conservative/moderate Dems in MI-07 and in MI-13, Donavan McKinney is leading against the corporate Democrat incumbent, Congressman Shri Thanedar

Senate

In Texas, James Tallerico who is a progressive populist, beat the establishment player, Jasmine Crockett in their primary

In Michigan last night, Progressive Dr. Abdul El-Sayed won against the corporate Dem, Haley Stevens, even though El-Sayed was outspent 6-1 and AIPAC spent $40 million against him.

Peggy Flanagan, the progressive candidate, is up 14 points in the Democratic senate primary in Minnesota. The MN primary is in two weeks.

Right now, in Nebraska, Dan Osborn, the independent candidate running on a populist, pro-worker, progressive platform, is in a tight race and could win against a billionaire Republican incumbent.

Important to note: We are also seeing in poll after poll that whenever a conservative or centrist Dem calls progressive/populists/democratic socialist challengers “socialists,” it literally does not affect the challenger, but blows back badly on the establishment Dems or has no effect at all.

Okay, so we now see that progressive, economic populists and democratic socialist candidates are winning on proven solutions that work: 1. Healthcare for all 2. Stop price gouging and bring down the price of goods 3. Stop funding wars 4. Support everyone’s rights (workers, immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ community) 5. Support the Constitution 6. Get money out of politics.

And now we know progressives are winning in deep blue districts, purple states, and red states because Independents are moving their way.

Clearly, the magical fairyland Corporate Dems made up so they can take tons of corporate and conservative donor money and then talk in vague terms with no real solutions is not working very well with voters.

Now, we still have to get through the general election, and anything can happen. But, more than anything else, we do know Independents and rank-and-file Dems do not like corporate funded/AIPAC funded candidates or their watered-down “centrist” solutions.

And what works in New York, does not work everywhere else, which is why the candidates that listen to voters, not the establishment or DC consultants, are winning.

Rest-in-peace magic fairyland called “The Center.”

@marienewmanstudio.com or find me @marienewmanstudio on Substack.com