Back to Navigation

Moderates vs. Progressives | Munk Debates

SEASON TWO - EPISODE #52

Moderates vs. Progressives

Be it resolved, progressives are leading the Democratic party to defeat.

Guests
Jim Kessler
Jeff Weaver
Apple spotify iHeartRadio Google

Listen

About this episode

Recent gubernatorial losses have left the Democratic Party shaken, concerned about how these disappointing election results will predict how the country votes in the 2022 midterms. Moderate strategists are pointing the finger at their progressive party members. By promoting unpopular policies on police, immigration, education, and gender politics, the progressive wing of the party is alienating its moderate base and pushing them towards the GOP. They argue that the left’s tactics in government – holding important domestic bills hostage in a bid to pass a more progressive agenda – have weakened the party and frustrated independents.

Progressives, meanwhile, believe that Democrats need to embrace bold policies in order to inspire the party base and deliver for working class voters, racial minorities and immigrants. Recent election losses are proof that the same tired playbook of centrist policies and priorities does not work. And it is moderate obstructionist Democrats, not progressives, who are standing in the way of Congress passing historic domestic legislation, frustrating voters and dividing the party. If the Democrats do not change course and embrace a bold agenda, they will lose the House and Senate in the 2022 midterms and the presidency soon after.

Share:

Guests

Jim Kessler

"Voters in the middle of the country, they just don't trust Democrats enough to really give us strong majorities, because they think we're going to go off the deep end."

Jim Kessler

"Voters in the middle of the country, they just don't trust Democrats enough to really give us strong majorities, because they think we're going to go off the deep end."

Jim Kessler's old boss, Senator Charles Schumer, labeled Jim a “creative non-conformist." In his decades on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, Jim's definitely been called a lot worse. It was that creative non-conformity that led Jim to join Jon Cowan, Matt Bennett, and Nancy Hale in co-founding Third Way in 2005. For more than a decade, Jim had dreamed of starting an organization like Third Way—one that supported a vital and daring center, where new ideas grow and orthodoxies wither. Now, as Third Way's Executive Vice President for Policy, Jim brings his wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and insights to bear on issues across the policy spectrum, from middle class economic prosperity to immigration, guns, and entitlements.

Earlier in his career, Jim served as Legislative and Policy Director to Representative/Senator Schumer, where he helped pass landmark legislation on crime, gun safety, and domestic violence. From 2001 to 2004 he served as Director of Policy and Research for Americans for Gun Safety. He began his career on the Hill as a Legislative Assistant and then Director for Massachusetts Democrat Chet Atkins.

Jeff Weaver

“The Democratic party has to be a labour-oriented party that uplifts working people of all races, that demonstrates in real ways that the future of democracy is a future that will have shared prosperity.”

Jeff Weaver

“The Democratic party has to be a labour-oriented party that uplifts working people of all races, that demonstrates in real ways that the future of democracy is a future that will have shared prosperity.”

Jeff Weaver is a Democratic strategist and consultant who managed Senator Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign and served as a senior advisor during the 2020 campaign. Weaver's work in politics began in 1986 as Sanders' driver. During the 2020 general election, he formed a Democratic super PAC that supported President Biden and Democratic Senate candidates. Weaver worked for 14 years in the U.S. Congress, including as a U.S. House and U.S. Senate chief of staff. After the 2016 campaign, Weaver served as a member of the Democratic National Committee's Unity Reform Commission, which was charged with reviewing and recommending reforms to the party's presidential nominating process. He is the author of the book How Bernie Won: Inside the Revolution That's Taking Back Our Country--and Where We Go from Here. He continues to serve as a senior advisor to Friends of Bernie Sanders, as well as progressive candidates across the country. He also owns Victory Comics, a comic book and gaming superstore in the metro DC area.

Comments

Previous Episode

Athens vs. Rome