An opinion piece published in The Washington Post is urging Democrats not to repeat what columnist Ramesh Ponnuru sees as a cautionary tale: the rise—and limitations—of the Tea Party during the Obama era. As tensions flare within the Democratic base, particularly following Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) vote with Republicans to pass a recent funding bill, Ponnuru warns that mirroring the right’s past tactics may backfire.
Democratic frustration has been building in recent weeks, with town halls across the country filled with constituents demanding answers—not just from Republicans, but from Democrats as well. Many are expressing outrage over decisions made by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and what they view as a failure by the party leadership to stand firm in opposition.
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Ponnuru draws a historical parallel, writing: “In 2009, Democrats controlled a unified government, and many conservatives were disgusted by what they viewed as their party’s spinelessness — much like progressives feel today.”
The Tea Party, he explains, channeled that anger by boosting anti-establishment and ultra-conservative candidates in Republican primaries. Some of these candidates won, reshaping the party. Others lost, their extreme positions alienating voters.
“The last thing Democrats need is a left-wing Tea Party,” Ponnuru warns. He argues that Republicans during the Tea Party era misread public sentiment, thinking their losses were due to excessive government spending and too much compromise.
“They mistook voters’ unhappiness with liberal government and a weak economy in 2010 for a deep desire to slash government,” he writes. “The Tea Party gave Republicans a burst of energy but not a solution to their estrangement from the public.”
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Instead of following the same path, Ponnuru contends, Democrats should focus on cultivating strong, unifying leadership. “The lack of an unquestioned leader is something Democrats can’t fix immediately,” he acknowledges. “In the meantime, they need to cultivate and assess new leaders. But not having anyone who matches Trump in stature comes with a silver lining:
It deprives him of a foil, and in the past, the public has wearied of Trump when given time to dwell exclusively on him.” With intra-party tension rising, Ponnuru’s message is clear: energy and passion are vital, but without a clear and effective strategy, Democrats risk repeating the Tea Party’s mistakes.
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