Why Are Democrats Reluctant to Be Woke?

The Party’s Fear of Alienating White Voters Is Misplaced—And Creating a Missed Opportunity

Recent debates over how race fits into American politics have centered on one word: “woke.” Florida’s “Stop WOKE Act,” which took effect in July, is intended to restrict how schools and businesses can talk about race. While this policy was part of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign against critical race theory, Democratic Party members have used similar language to argue against making race a central issue of their political platform. In November 2021, long-time Democratic Party strategist James Carville claimed “stupid wokeness” was to blame for the party’s loss in …

by Ashley Jardina | August 18, 2022

The California Post That Might Need a Republican

A Controller From the Minority Party Could Provide a Crucial Check on a State Government Suffering from Political Monoculture

by Joe Mathews | March 15, 2022

Question: In the exclusively Democratic constellation of California statewide officials, how many places are there where a Republican star might fit?

Answer: One.

Maybe.

That singular spot is the State Controller’s Office. If …

I Know Who Can Rescue California Democrats (and Maybe Gavin Newsom, Too)

The Answer to the Democrats’ Recall Predicament Is a Man Who Couldn’t Save His Own Seat

by Joe Mathews | May 18, 2021

The most head-scratching political puzzle in California has only one solution:

It is, of all people, Gray Davis.

Yes, perhaps paradoxically, Gray Davis, the former governor who voters recalled in 2003, may …

The 1958 Governor’s Race That Launched a Dynasty

An Internecine Fight Between Two Republicans Opened the Door to Ambitious San Francisco Democrat Pat Brown

by Miriam Pawel | November 6, 2018

As Jerry Brown nears the end of his record fourth term as California governor, his final months are swathed in nostalgia, superlatives, and retrospectives on a remarkable five decades in …

California’s Single Payer Health Care Bill Is Dead on Arrival

The Senate Democrats' Proposal Is Illegal, Unworkable, and Ignores Other Nations' Useful Models

By Micah Weinberg | June 9, 2017

I am a lifelong Democrat who has been working hard for more than a decade to improve the policies and build the coalitions necessary for the success of the Affordable …

How Medicare Both Salved and Scarred American Health Care

The 52-Year-Old Federal Program's Successes Reflect a Complex Legacy

By Julian E. Zelizer | February 17, 2017

Before Congress passed Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 millions of elderly Americans lacked health insurance. They could not afford to go to the hospital, nor could they cover the …

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