The Real Test for Democrats

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what did he do last week’s elections Can you tell us how the Democratic Party can win in the future? Probably a lot less than we’ll find out this week. Last night’s Senate agreement to end the government shutdown, which brings together Republican senators and seven Democrats, as well as one independent who caucuses with Democrats, is the real fork in the road.

One of the key debates was whether the party should move left (let’s call it the Zohran Mamdani strategy, after New York’s mayor-elect) or center like Virginia’s Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. But the more important question is strategic rather than ideological: Are Democrats willing to adopt new methods to respond to the new challenges posed by Donald Trump?

The eight senators who took action to end the shutdown did not do so. Their decisions started a revolution Accusations in the party and anger from his base. The reasons are no surprise. Democrats have largely shut down the government in response to anger from supporters who want to see more fighting. Now part of the party has surrendered. Not only that, but he capitulated at a time when the Democrats appeared to be winning politically. Polls have consistently shown that Americans blame Republicans more for the shutdown, and Trump himself said last week that “the shutdown is a big, negative factor for Republicans.” Tuesday’s elections. Trump’s own approval rate and it sank even further.

Maybe the worst thing is agreementAssuming he manages to pick up a few more votes in the coming days, he’ll be off the hook with very little left for Trump and the GOP. Most of what he’s doing is restoring things to the way they were: Funding the entire government through January, funding several key programs through most of 2026, providing back pay to government workers, and reversing layoffs of some federal employees.

What’s new is the promise of a vote on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, the ostensible reason Democrats shut down the government. But another reason for the government shutdown was that Democrats rightfully did not believe the promises made by Trump or his congressional allies. All they can get now is one of those rotten oaths.

This divide revealed by the shutdown does not map neatly onto any left-right axis. Among those defecting from the Democrats was New Hampshire’s Maggie Hassan. the most conservative members of the caucusAccording to a site that tracks legislation and voting records, and one of the more liberals, Dick Durbin. Opponents of the deal range from moderate Mark Warner, who often signs bipartisan agreements, to progressive icon Elizabeth Warren. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer nixed the deal; Durbin, Schumer’s number 2, also attended the meeting. (The implication here is that Schumer has failed to keep his caucus together. There are calls for his ouster as leader; at least a prominent House DemocratIt came quickly.)

Perhaps the most distinctive feature that unites the renegades is that they are not running for re-election in 2026. Two are retiring and the terms of six others expire later. This means they are more insulated from voter anger than their counterparts. (One of them, Senator Tim Kaine, claimed that the group had taken the heat against other senators who preferred the cave but did not want to do so publicly.) Half a dozen people expecting to stay longer might also be more willing, because my colleague Jonathan Chait He wrote it to protect the filibuster, which Trump demands that Republicans eliminate.

They had other reasons to go to the cave. Democrats were facing pressure largest union of federal government employeestraditionally a close ally. They were warily monitoring the chaos in the air travel system. And the Trump administration acts to inflict pain Cutting off SNAP benefits in whole or in part appears to have worked on these Democrats — although an appeals court last night upheld a challenge decision I am ordering the White House to pay the benefits in full.

One of Trump’s strongest draws in this shutdown is that he doesn’t seem to care whether it’s his or not. politically unpopular or if Americans suffer because of his stubborn tactics. As a result, the separatist group also seems concerned that waiting longer would not achieve any of Democrats’ goals, but would simply give the president more time to engage in full-blown persecution.

“I understand that not all of my Democratic colleagues are happy with this agreement.” Senator Jeanne ShaheenOne of the escapees told reporters last night. (own daughter(The House candidate was one of those critics.) “But waiting another week or another month will not produce a better outcome. It will only cause more harm to families in New Hampshire and across the country.”

No one can dispute that shutdowns have caused suffering for Americans, but many of Trump’s policies to cause pain. It systematically dismantles civil liberties, undermines checks and balances, attacks the rule of law, erodes the electoral systemand using federal power punishing ordinary citizens for their votes. The shutdown was a rare chance for Democrats, now in the minority, to gain the power to force policy concessions that would stop or slow it down. Eight senators had the day voting to end the shutdown, but their methods are unlikely to carry the Democratic Party.

One of the burdens of elected office is sometimes having to make the least bad choice: balancing two options, both of which involve pain, and deciding which one will produce the best outcome for the most people. Seven Democrats concluded that a rapid reopening is the best option, but it’s hard to buy their argument that more Americans would be better off that way.

Relating to:

Here are three new stories Atlantic:

Today’s News

1. The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case from Mississippi challenging the law. Additional time for mail-in ballots. It will be counted after election day. If the court rules against the law, the decision could affect similar laws in many states ahead of the 2026 elections.

3. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge The 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage rejected a petition by former Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on religious grounds.

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Why Am I Resigning

by Mark L. Wolf

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan appointed me a federal judge. I was 38 years old. At that time, I was looking forward to serving for the rest of my life. But on Friday, I resigned, giving up this lifelong position and the public service opportunity I had cherished.

My reason is simple: I can no longer stand being constrained by what judges can say in public or do outside the courtroom.

Read the full article.

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Wristwatch. this week Saturday Night Live (streaming on Peacock). James Austin Johnson’s monologues as Donald Trump became one Ideal format for recent political newsErik Adams writes.

To discover. Twenty-five years after its premiere MTV CribsKim Hew-Low reviews: the show’s influence on a now-common genre: house tour.

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