Why moderate Democrats seem like such a hopeless bunch

Here’s a grim sign of the times: Just 10 House Democrats so far have signed on the moderate Democratic “Promise to America” pledge, plus a few more House hopefuls.

The duo behind the pledges, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-LI) and Adam Gray (D-Calif.), say that’s OK because . . . well . . .

“We only want 10 members of Congress because we don’t want to make it only about Washington,” Suozzi claims. “That’s why we’re going out to the state and local officials.”

Sorry: The pledge is about standing for “capitalism, safety, fiscal responsibility, effective government, common purpose, and patriotism” — and it can’t even get a dozen Dem signers?

Meanwhile, the not-at-all-moderates seem to be having pretty good luck on the local front: The Democratic Socialists of America now have mayors in New York and Seattle, with Washington DC next, and maybe Los Angeles too.

They’re also gaining in the House: From Pennsylvania’s Chris Rabb to Colorado’s Melat Kiros to New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier, socialists, antisemites and Third-World-brained conspiracy theorists are grabbing safe Democratic seats.

On the Senate side, Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and Florida’s Angie Nixon just beat the establishment in Dem primaries.

And Massachusetts Senate hopeful Rep. Seth Moulton, a would-be anti-extremist trying to unseat ancient Ed Markey, has had to apologize for once saying he didn’t want biological men in the locker room with his young daughters.

So it sure doesn’t look like most of the party is listening to Suozzi and Gray, who are the only two House Dems who flipped Republican-held seats in 2024 in districts carried by President Donald Trump.

Consider, too, who they trotted out for rhetorical support for their campaign: 1990s consultant James Carville, now retired to occasional talking-head spot jobs.

Fine, he bashed the DSA as “not even Democrats,” griping of the Democratic Socialists, “If you hate the Democratic Party so much, well, then don’t use our goddamn name. Go think of your own name.”

But maybe the name is all he cares about: Back in April, Carville said that, when next Dems control Congress and the White House, “On Day 1, they should make Puerto Rico and D.C. a state, and they should expand the Supreme Court to 13.”

His only “moderate” spin was about keeping the voters in the dark in advance: “Don’t run on it, don’t talk about it, just do it.”

Hmm: If centrists can’t come up with a program more serious than talking about “common purpose” and “patriotism” even as they plan a radical power grab, Americans have to wonder if the Dems who don’t embrace the DSA really disagree about anything more than campaign tactics.