Democrats Aren't Too Liberal, They're Too Weak

[applegrove]

Democrats Aren’t Too Liberal, They’re Too Weak

February 27, 2026 at 7:36 am EST By Taegan Goddard 157 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2026/02/27/democrats-arent-too-liberal-theyre-too-weak/

A new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds just 53% of Democrats call their party tough, compared to 80% of Republicans.

And 31% of Democrats say their own party is weak — almost three times the 13% of Republicans who say the same about theirs.

[JI7]

1. How many support Crockett for Senate ?

[Bobstandard]

8. Are you hijacking the thread?

[MineralMan]

21. Nope.

It's relevant.

[senseandsensibility]

2. On the contrary, even Independents and some Rs

agree with progressive policy issues. Dems certainly do. But Dems don't see their side as fighting hard enough. Fair or not, that's the perception and it is foolish to ignore it. That's why this insistence of some on following protocol (attending the SOTU when it is literally nothing by lies and BS for example) is a real loser. Perceptions are everything.

[usonian]

3. Who remembers BADASS Democrats?

Okay, it was a movie.

Credit Barry Bostwick, "Brad Majors" in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[Midnight Writer]

4. Many people see compassion and moral responsibility as weakness. They are not.

The MAGA concept of strength is that of a bullying brute, a rampaging, out-of-control bull that cannot be bound, a might-makes-right maverick that makes up the rules as they see fit.

The real strength is in cooperation, in righteousness, in working for the common welfare, in treating the poorest and weakest among us as well as we treat the most powerful, in ensuring justice and fairness and tolerance for all.

[Ferrets are Cool]

5. Sorry, you can't work with magats, you can't cooperate with magats.

Normalcy is LONG GONE in the magat party but Democrats still think normal works. IT DOESN'T.

&t=322s

[BlueKota]

7. Bipartisanship cannot be accomplished when

one of the parties is unwilling to compromise on even the most reasonable proposals. Republicans think they are 100 percent entitled to their way. How successful have attempts to reason with them or Trump been?

Do you think trying to appeal to the conscience of people who consider dictators like Hitler, and Stalin heroes to be admired has any chance of success?

Look if it were just the old fashioned political arguments about how much to fund social programs versus the military there would be room to compromise.

The Republicans are violating basic human rights, however. Their agent's abandoned a disabled man in severe winter conditions, and he died as a result. They have denied medical treatment to children. They shoot innocent people and defenseless animals. How do you reason or appeal to the consciences of people who have neither. Bully's don't back down until enough people stand up, draw a line in the sand, and send a loud and clear message, their shit won't be tolerated anymore.

[BattleRow]

19. You cannot hold a snake by the tail..

[PatSeg]

15. Exactly, I don't see Democrats as weak

Some people mistake civility and integrity as weaknesses. Just because republicans tend to be deceitful, corrupt, and aggressive, doesn't mean Democrats are "weak". If I stoop to their level, then I'm no better than they are. When we start talking and behaving like them, democracy is dead.

Every day I watch so many Democrats go above and beyond, trying to fight the blatant lies and corruption on the right. They rarely get the credit they deserve. We are on the right side of history and it is important that we don't succumb to their vile tactics. That is exactly what they want us to do, get down in the mud with them.


Edit to add: I am not talking about compromising with evil. We will probably have to defeat them with numbers, truth, and persistence.

[Cirsium]

35. Bipartisan moves

Triangulating. Trying to anticipate what will appeal to some supposed swing voters. Trying to find some mythical "center." Afraid of Fox News. Afraid of being seen as weak on crime. Afraid of right wing backlash. Afraid of being seen as weak on the military. Afraid of being called socialists. Afraid of what mass media pundits will say. Afraid of alienating big donors. Afraid of suburban soccer moms. Afraid of this, afraid of that.

[PatSeg]

39. Yes, politics is truly a shitty business

Not for the faint of heart that's for sure. I think we still have a lot of Democrats who need to stop being Charlie Brown to their Lucy. That doesn't mean I think they should all become a version of Lucy.

We've watched republicans play the same tired, dishonest games over and over again for years. They accuse Democrats of doing the same things that republicans are doing and then take advantage of Democrats' reactive, apologetic behavior. Democrats don't have to go down to their level, but they certainly don't need to be so defensive and apologetic all the time - that does often come across as weakness.

We have some of the best Democratic politicians I've seen in a very long time. They are smart, competent, and dedicated to the preservation of democracy.

[flashman13]

16. You can't have any of those nice things until MAGA is defeated, dead, and buried.

Up until then it is going to require leaders that will ruthlessly fight MAGA at every turn. Rank and file Democrats get that. The current perception is that Democratic leadership is not tough enough to do what is needed.

[orangecrush]

6. Fuck the Kumbaya

[Cha]

9. Yet Our Dems Ae Winning Elections & Overperforming!!

How does that Track with this Anti Dem message on DU?

[applegrove]

10. They need to beef up. MAGA does performative

alpha stuff. Democrats need to be aggressive and not just react. They need to drive the narrative. The Germans under Hitler followed the rules and were nice to the fascists. You know who wasn't nice? The Resistance.

[Cha]

13. "Dems are weak" is Vote Depressing,

and I don't see that.

I see Dems Fighting For Us and Fighting FOR America.

But I get it.. many don't appreciate that. And we end up with the PEDO Twice.

[applegrove]

17. Yes I see them fighting every day. But righteous anger

is catchy and strong.

[Cha]

31. I see "Rightgous Anger". nt

[applegrove]

32. Fixed it. Thanks Cha.

[Bread and Circuses]

27. 👏👏👏👏👏

[BannonsLiver]

11. The policies have never been the problem IMO.

[ProfessorGAC]

30. Absolutely Correct

The deficiency is in salesmanship, not product quality.

[Fichefinder]

12. I am a Dem Candidate barred from our meetings for being "Disruptive"

How many Retired MSgt., Decorated, Disabled, Desert Storm veteran, union organizing candidates do we have in Arizona? I guess one too many.
https://marcgrahamforaz.com/

[stopdiggin]

14. I simply have no interest in emulating Trump / Miller / Vance / Bovino etc., etc.

and further, no desire to vote for anyone who does. Or holds sentiment for that 'brand' - or feels that it represents any variety or stripe of 'strength'.

Full stop.

[applegrove]

20. We are talking about changing the hearts and minds of people who voted for Trump. Sometimes twice. Or people who didn't

even bother to vote in 2024. They need a fire lit under them. We aren't bullies but we can be fighters every day, in every way.

[stopdiggin]

24. not buying in. and it doesn't really matter how you 'frame' the issue

Just absolutely not interested in the 'flexing' and testosterone performance. Much more likely to vote for the 'other' choice (and sincerely hoping there is one)

[PatSeg]

23. I agree

Watching all the nationwide demonstrations against this administration, I don't see weakness, I see righteous determination. This is how we win.

[chicago guy]

18. Compromise

No the issue is not weak or strong. Democrats/ liberals believe that compromise is the correct way government works. Not long ago it did work like that, ask John Bannor who was run out on a rail for compromising that was after Moscow Mitch decided Obama was one term president. The entire country has been race batted by republicans and Trump.

[Bread and Circuses]

26. Yes, but now we've seen that Republicans will not meet in the middle

[BattleRow]

22. Interesting that a compromise is a com promise..

Interpret that as you will...

[Bread and Circuses]

25. We knew this for years! remember John Kerry ? Weak debates against W.

I

👉🏽This is not bashing Dems. I continue to support and vote for Dems. We just need to press them to stand up for Constitution more vigorously !

[RandySF]

28. Haven't reached the first primary and we already lost our shit.

[BurnDoubt]

29. Remember?...

“Bi-Partisan is Date Rape.”
And “Rules” are for Pussies.

“Evil men do as they please.
Men who would do Good
Must do as they are allowed.”

The “Virtues” of my Youth are now the “Vices” in my reclining years.
And Vice-Versa…...

The window for good options is closing faster every day.
See Gaza for how it ends.

Democrats support Freedom and endeavor to make it available to everyone.
Republicans support “Liberty” for White Male Right-Wing Christer-Republicans and endeavor to make it unavailable to “others”.
It may be just my observation, but I’m standing by it based only on my lived experience after Seventy-Five revolutions around Ol’ Sol.

I Weep For The Babies.

[Progressive dog]

33. Democrats aren't weak.

They choose not to destroy our democracy to save it. That is the only chance we have to come out of this with the smallest amount of damage.

[SocialDemocrat61]

34. It depends on the state or district

I doubt more liberal candidates would have won in New Jersey and Virginia last November.

[snot]

36. Imho, Dems HAVE been weak in certain areas.

Yes, we've been relatively strong on efforts to help women, black and brown people, and people who don't fit into the traditional gender-related binary; and I'm grateful for that.

But what about issues affecting the economic condition of the 95% (how many Dem representatives opposed the repeal of Glass-Steagall, the decision not to regulate credit derivatives, etc.?);

or the repeal of restrictions on the consolidation of media ownership (how many opposed the Telecom Act of 1996?);

or the wars based on lies (how many voted against the 2003 invasion of Iraq, despite larger mass protests than occurred in opposition to our involvement in Viet Nam? How many voted against the renewal of the AUMF? Etc.);

or incursions against free speech and privacy (how many Dem reps. voted against extensions of the Patriot Act; how many continue to acquiesce in the mass surveillance of innocent citizens; how many condemned Biden admin pressures on social media platforms to censor or shadow-ban citizens' protected speech, or its actions in the arrest of four Black socialists based on their criticism of our involvement in Ukraine)? Etc.

I believe that Dems' weakness on some of these issues, especially the economic ones, helped create the conditions for Trump's election.

People's economic struggles are real, and "messaging" only goes so far to convince them otherwise. Trump hasn't really helped the working class, either; but it took a while for people to feel let down by the Dems, and I fear it will take a while for people to feel let down enough by Trump and other Republicans to switch allegiance again.

[tirebiter]

38. Backstabbing Biden was weak.

Not running on his record was weak. Not facing up to those mistakes just makes us appear even more so.

[RandySF]

37. Can we see how 2026 goes before we beat ourselves up again?

[everyonematters]

40. According to the latest Gallup poll 45% of the electorate are independents.

Many of them don't trust either party to make a difference in their lives. Recently there was a poll that had Trump's approval at 36%. That same poll said that people trusted republicans more to solve the major problems facing the country. I don't think that combativeness influences them. It is a turnoff. The party that can convince them that they are going to make a difference to them can become the dominant party. We need to be more focused on Kitchen table issues instead of combativeness and social issues. There is only so much you can to if the other party controls the House, the Senate and the Presidency.