The “Blue Wave” is coming.  Yes, the political polls have consistently under reported Republican voters since I’d say at least 2016, when everyone thought that Hillary Clinton was surely going to defeat then soon to be President Trump.  Yet, when I listen to the polling experts (I enjoy Harry Enten with CNN who displays his great sense of humor in his analyses), I do agree that it looks like the U.S. House of Representatives will be controlled by the Democrats after the midterm elections.  I also hesitantly say that the U.S. Senate will be led by the Democrats as well.  The story here is a non-story.  President Trump’s approval rating is very low with the electorate, as Americans are livid over the affordability issue which is the main factor in the election projections.  Tariffs, the war in Iran and the deportation approach of ICE/Border Patrol are all policies that have led to a weakening of support for Republican candidates.  The behavior of ICE and Border Patrol alone has alienated a great deal of the Hispanic vote that did support President Trump in 2024.  I won’t say that Republican farmers and small business owners will vote for Democrats, but with the way that tariffs have threatened their very survival, these folks won’t be too excited about going to the polls.  I, for one, was in favor initially of the war in Iran and the intention of ensuring that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon.  Most Americans, however, were not in favor of the war from the beginning and the increase in gas prices has infuriated Americans, already fed up with the ridiculous cost of living.  Therefore, it will be no surprise that unless some unknown events or factors arise (which can always happen in the world of politics) before the November elections, that we will soon have a Congress led by the Democrats with a Trump White House.

I think the real story (and question) is how the Democratic Party will move forward given this rise and significant influence of Democratic Socialists.  2026 will be an election that is more about the rejection of the Republicans in power than a love of the Democratic Party by Americans, is my argument.  We’ve seen that Americans have overall rejected the extreme wokeness of the far left in the form of policies, such as “Defund the Police,” the vilification of Western culture, DEI, and a refusal to protect women in women’s sports.  Basically, this current rise of Democratic Socialists is another attempt by the far left to impose their extremism on our society. 

I find Democratic Socialists to be on the fringes of American political norms which is why I say that they do not belong in the Democratic Party.  It is important to note that this is not Bernie Sanders’ version of Democratic Socialism, purely focused on the plight of the everyday working American.  There are three core concerns I have about these extremists.  Democratic Socialists hate Israel – they side with Islamic fundamentalists, they hate capitalism in favor of communism, and they obviously despise Western culture.  

First, and yes, I am obviously biased with my Jewish heritage, but I’ve had enough with these rabid chants of “genocide” directed at Israel.   I support a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, but we must remember that Hamas started this war on October 7, 2023, with the killing of approximately 1,200 civilians (including some Americans).  These Democratic Socialists in their cries about genocide consistently fail to mention that without the October 7th attack, a war would not have started in Gaza (read more here on my Substack at  https://ericnachamie.substack.com/p/yes-free-palestine-from-hamas?r=6mclt6&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web).  Of course, Democratic Socialists never show much passion and outrage in support of women and those in the LGBTQ+ community who have no rights in places, such as Iran and Afghanistan, but they sure hate Israel where women and those in the LGBTQ+ community can live in freedom. 

If there is one economic truth it is that communism does not work.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there are issues with capitalism.  The United States has a capitalistic system, but with a safety net – we have a hybrid system.  We have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, etc.  The question is not whether we should give up capitalism (of course not), but how much of a safety net do we need to complement capitalism, which has brought tremendous wealth to humanity like no other economic system on the planet.  There is no valid argument for communism at all and no need to discuss that history at length, although a recent example is Venezuela.  Democratic Socialists are idiotic in their love of communism.

Then, we have what to me is a resurrection of wokeness, but in the form of Democratic Socialism when it comes to an obvious hatred of Western culture.  Yes, there has been brutal treatment of indigenous people by the great Western powers of the world.  I absolutely agree with this, but the reality is that up to modern times, all peoples were violent and were killing each other.  It is inexcusable to refuse to highlight the great triumph that is Western culture and the United States of America, which includes the establishment of democracy, the defense of individual liberty and the expansion of rights to those who traditionally did not enjoy such freedoms.  This rise of democratic nations is no small feat of humanity.  Indeed, we must acknowledge that white European men who could have insisted on retaining their exclusive privilege instead championed the extension of rights and economic opportunities to all. 

Suffice it to say that I am no fan of the Democratic Socialist movement that appears to be gaining increasing influence in the Democratic Party.  As for 2026, I will vote for mainstream Democrats, such as Roy Cooper, but if you are a candidate who proudly proclaims that you are a Democratic Socialist, I will have a hard time voting for you and may very well give your Republican opponent a second look.  I’ll close by “borrowing” the essence of a quote by the late Senator Lloyd Benson of Texas during the 1988 U.S. Vice Presidential debate:

Democratic Socialists, I know Democrats - I have always supported Democratic candidates who support working people and American ideals.  You, Democratic Socialists, with your extremism and anti-Western hate, are no Democrats.