The Democrats Keep Searching for a Leader They Already Have

That urgent question of who and where is the Democratic Party’s ascendant leader—this theoretical charismatic, next-gen figure traveling the country, building passions and a faithful coalition—may have a pretty obvious answer. Bernie Sanders. Certainly, this new crop of Democratic lefties and socialists, seemingly sprouting up everywhere, is an inexperienced, untested, and unknown collection of wannabes... But focusing on them, and their callowness, may not be the most helpful way of looking at this intra-party rebellion. Instead, look at the set of potential 2028 Democratic figures—among them, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, JB Pritzker, Andy Beshear, Josh Shapiro, Pete Buttigieg, Rahm Emanuel. Each represents a certain professionalism, plasticity, ideological level-headedness (if not blandness), and general political clubability. If contrast is a key calling card in present-day politics, you’d best measure them all against Sanders: unwavering over decades in his sensibility and eccentricities, far more a moralist than a politician, an outsider in belief and bearing, and, not just authentic, but, certainly in American politics, an original. And, apparently, not going away. Whether the Dems recognize it or choose to deny it, he is the uncrowned king of the Democratic Party.