Registration

Sign Up:

(*) denotes required form field(s)

WorkCast's registration process uses cookies, by submitting this registration form you agree to our cookie policy.

Register  

Live Virtual Debate:

Is The Democratic Party Too Far Left?

Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 | 2:15 PM Eastern Time 

Defund the police. Abolish ICE. Redistribute the wealth. These are but a few of the one-liners that have emanated from the liberal wing of the Democratic party in recent years. With the emergence of “The Squad” in 2018 – or what began as four Democratic congresswomen who sought to push their party further left – liberal lawmakers have grown more prevalent in recent election cycles. And with just a slim 51-49 Democrat majority in the Senate, progressives are now eyeing 2024 as a way to strengthen their broader influence. By doing so, some say, the party risks aligning itself with ever more extreme politics, alienating moderate voices, and straying from what made it successful in the past. When President Bill Clinton was in office, they note, only 25 percent of Democrats described themselves as liberal; another 25 percent called themselves conservative, while an overwhelming 48 percent were self-described moderates. The equating of liberalism with Democratic policies, they argue, is a recent and dangerous trend, which makes governing more difficult. Others argue that the party is finally poised to make good what constitutes the reemergence of the political left, long stymied by the compromising influence of Washington and beltway politics. What’s more, they argue, this renewed focus on issues such as race, climate, income inequality has not only begun to address in earnest issues once paid only superficial notice, but is also electrifying the nation's progressive base in ways that can win elections. It is in this context that we debate the following question: Is The Democratic Party Too Far Left?

Debaters:

Debaters
Arguing No
Coleman Hughes
Host of the “Conversations with Coleman” podcast and Contributing Writer at The Free Press
Debaters
FOR THE MOTION
Ruy Teixeira
Political Scientist and Commentator, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
Debaters
AGAINST THE MOTION
Alicia Garza
Civil Rights Activist, Writer, and Co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Movement
Debaters
AGAINST THE MOTION
Congressman Jamaal Bowman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 16th District
Debaters
Moderator-in-Chief
John Donvan
Open to Debate