Dig into the results with us.
 | By John Guida Senior Staff Editor, Opinion |
Focus only on mayoral races from New York to Seattle, and you would think that Democrats had a wildly successful Election Day on Tuesday. |
In Boston, a Taiwanese American woman, Michelle Wu, was elected mayor. Her victory "represents a seismic shift to a political landscape in which 'white' and 'male' were prerequisites to be elected mayor since the position was established here in 1822," Eileen McNamara wrote in a guest essay. |
In Opinion, as we dig into the results, two themes have emerged. |
Democrats face an identity crisis |
Democrats lost or ran neck-and-neck in states (Virginia and New Jersey) that President Biden won in 2020 by double digits. Something went badly wrong. |
Bret noted some outside factors (like Terry McAuliffe's "lousy campaign" and a "manifestly inept" Biden) but pointed to the party's "deeper problem": "the persistent and justified perception of a party too often composed of fake moderates and dissembling radicals." |
The issue for the party, he added, "is either dishonesty about the kind of country they want, a lack of self-awareness, or some combination of both." |
Ross was specific about the left's direction: "Democrats probably need a new way to talk about progressive ideology and education." In a guest essay, Adam Jentleson and Tory Gavito offer a strategy: "Instead of ignoring race while Republicans beat us silly with it, Democrats must confront it and explain that powerful elites and special interests use race as a tool of division to distract hard-working people of all races while they get robbed blind. Then pivot back to shared interests." |
The G.O.P. has an opportunity |
In an essay last night, Frank Bruni noted that the Republican candidates were "Trumpy to a T." But they weren't Trump: Glenn Youngkin and Jack Ciattarelli's surprising performances "raise the possibility that the cultural and racial resentments of Trumpism without the thundering monomania of Trump may be a more profitable formula for the Republican Party than unalloyed and unabashed worship of its tempestuous god." |
Ross examined the favorable environment for the G.O.P.: "The combination of a struggling Democratic administration and an overreaching cultural progressivism has created an immense political opportunity" — and maybe "you don't actually need a Trump-like figure at the top of the ticket to mobilize Donald Trump's core voters." |
It was a night of celebrations, surprises and crushing disappointments. Democrats are glad it's not 2022. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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