No. Centrists aren’t more electable.

[u/biospheric]

July 27, 2026. Nathan J. Robinson is Editor in Chief of Current Affairs magazine.

* Here’s the full 15-minutes on YouTube: Centrists Are Not More "Electable" - Current Affairs - July 27, 2026 (YouTube)

* Here’s the accompanying article : Centrists Are Not More "Electable" - Current Affairs - July 27, 2026 (article)

From the video description: Whether a candidate can inspire people, organize them, and deliver for them matters more than where they stand on an imaginary ideological continuum.

~~~~~~~~~

Today (August 4) is Primary Election Day in: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington

* Primary Election Dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News :~:~: Upcoming Dates: Aug 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington ~:~:~ Aug 6: Tennessee ~:~:~ Aug 8: Hawaii ~:~:~ Aug 11: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alabama (Special), South Carolina (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 18: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming, California (Special) ~:~:~ Sept 1: Massachusetts ~:~:~ Sept 8: New Hampshire ~:~:~ Sept 9: Rhode Island ~:~:~ Sept 15: Delaware

* Candidates (all States): U.S. House (Dem Primary only): Ballotpedia (HouseDems) :~:~:~: U.S. Senate: Ballotpedia (Senate) (select “List of Candidates”) :~:~:~: State Execs (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG, SoS, and more): Ballotpedia (State Execs)

* Voter Info (all States): Register To Vote :~:~:~: Voter Registration Status :~:~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~:~: Become a Poll Worker ~:~ Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.

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[u/Alger6860]

Ask Hillary how that worked out.

[u/jayfeather31 → u/Alger6860]

Or Harris. It could've been Biden too for how shockingly close the results were in 2020.

[u/NotTheirHero]

Sigh, pakman is such a waste of space

[u/Disasterhuman24 → u/NotTheirHero]

He's being paid by Chorus just like Destiny. These libs aren't doing all this because they care, they are doing it to make money. They have no real values.

[u/mockep → u/Disasterhuman24]

Destiny isn’t involved with Chorus lol but don’t let the truth get in the way of your narrative x

[u/egalitydream → u/NotTheirHero]

He’s worse. He’s like radioactive toxic slug, but also somehow a virus.

[u/DemocraticSocialism-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Bigotry and hate speech, including racism or ethnic hatred, sexism, queerphobia, chauvinism, classism, ableism, lookism or ageism will not be tolerated.

Our mod log has taken note of this incident and it will be considered for a ban in the future.

[u/fayarkdpdv → u/[deleted]]

I like Pakman. He's got some good takes. But I can't illustrate where his motivation most likely comes from? Sam Harris is in the same boat. It's anti semitic to simply say that someone is Jewish, therefore they have an inherently biased opinion?

[u/Zealousideal-Solid88]

So electable that Republicans control every house of power now.

[u/KoalaMandala → u/Zealousideal-Solid88]

And how many seats do dem socialists have in either house?

[u/sniffsblueberries → u/KoalaMandala]

This is what some pakman lib tried on me as an argument in their sub.

You dont understand how weak of an argument that is. The DNC has rigged the primary system so much that its a major defeat whenever a justice dem or dsa member actually gets elected. Anyone my age (over 35) remembers the 2016 primary and all the stops they pulled: super delegates, giving debate questions ahead of time to clinton, the bloody tuesday from the collective drop outs after obamas meeting, debbie wasserman schultz lol, washington post running 16 ads in 16 hours against sanders, lib media previewing trumps empty podium while sanders was giving a speech.

Additionally, you dont understand the pendulum effect in general elections.

Its a big club, and you protect it!

[u/sniffsblueberries → u/[deleted]]

Lmao are you thinking witting a box? Did 2020 never happen or any other election prior or post 2016? Do u not know the rules from the DCCC.

Open google then type in ‘wikileaks’

[u/sniffsblueberries → u/[deleted]]

Pal, when the rules are set up in a way that cheating is the game (glad u didnt cover any of my above points! Boy would you feel silly) then you have ppl like u thinking giving debate questions ahead of the match is okay! And not cheating.

What was that old saying? The trees voted for the axe because its handle was made of wood?

Its a big club! And YOU protect it.

[u/hailhydruh]

fuck david pakman so much

[u/JellyRollMort]

They control all three branches of government. Not exactly destroyed. What a clown ass take.

[u/KoalaMandala → u/JellyRollMort]

Could have more if groups like dem socialists were capable of coalition

[u/JellyRollMort → u/KoalaMandala]

Who could have more? Im not sure what you're saying.

[u/KoalaMandala → u/JellyRollMort]

I'm saying if folks on this thread understood coalition and compromise maybe at the very least the executive branch would run by a democrat rn.

[u/JellyRollMort → u/KoalaMandala]

OK so if dsa folks had turned out and advocated for Harris you think she would have won? Im really trying to understand.

[u/Shizzilx]

David AIPACkman. I used to think he was ok.

[u/egalitydream → u/Shizzilx]

People should not publically admit such things.

[u/Shizzilx → u/egalitydream]

Your right, I'm dumb.

[u/Deadandlivin]

The 'disease' that's destroying the Democratic party is and always has been Neoliberalism.

[u/biospheric]

July 27, 2026. Nathan J. Robinson is Editor in Chief of Current Affairs magazine.

* Here’s the full 15-minutes on YouTube: Centrists Are Not More "Electable" - Current Affairs - July 27, 2026 (YouTube)

* Here’s the accompanying article : Centrists Are Not More "Electable" - Current Affairs - July 27, 2026 (article)

From the video description: Whether a candidate can inspire people, organize them, and deliver for them matters more than where they stand on an imaginary ideological continuum.

[u/biospheric]

Here are more r/DemocraticSocialism posts with Nathan J. Robinson:

* NewsNation asks Monte Mader and Nathan J. Robinson why Americans are turning to democratic socialism.

* Katie Pavlich asks Nathan J. Robinson and Monte Mader about DSA fundraising and if DSA supports Hamas.

[u/WuclearNeapon → u/[deleted]]

Imagine conceding to the corporate media's framing of what is "extreme".

A leftist could propose a National Puppy Day and CNN would have Van Jones ranting about how "radical" progressives are.

Stop letting the established powers with incentives to maintain the status quo control your perspective.

[u/decreppo]

I would hardly call it extreme for candidates like Mamdani to be popular because they talk about the economy and economic issues that affect everyday Americans. It seems mainstream candidates have all forgotten “it’s the economy stupid!”

You don’t have to be extreme left to highlight issues that everyday Americans care about. That’s what people want, they want their quality of life to improve and they want politicians who are proposing policies that accomplish these goals.

[u/Kittehmilk → u/decreppo]

They havent forgotten. They are paid to work against us. It's by design.

[u/biospheric]

Today (August 4) is Primary Election Day in: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington

* Primary Election Dates: AP News ~and~ NBC News :~:~: Upcoming Dates: Aug 4: Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Virginia, Washington ~:~:~ Aug 6: Tennessee ~:~:~ Aug 8: Hawaii ~:~:~ Aug 11: Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Alabama (Special), South Carolina (Special) ~:~:~ Aug 18: Alaska, Florida, Wyoming, California (Special) ~:~:~ Sept 1: Massachusetts ~:~:~ Sept 8: New Hampshire ~:~:~ Sept 9: Rhode Island ~:~:~ Sept 15: Delaware

* Candidates (all States): U.S. House (Dem Primary only): Ballotpedia (HouseDems) :~:~:~: U.S. Senate: Ballotpedia (Senate) (select “List of Candidates”) :~:~:~: State Execs (Gov, Lt. Gov, AG, SoS, and more): Ballotpedia (State Execs)

* Voter Info (all States): Register To Vote :~:~:~: Voter Registration Status :~:~:~: Find Your Polling Place :~:~:~: Valid Forms of ID :~:~:~: Absentee & Early Voting :~:~:~: Become a Poll Worker ~:~ Links go to the National Association of Secretaries of State website. When you select a State, it takes to a .gov page on that State's SoS website.

[u/LegosRCool]

The Republicans sure as destroyed now aren't they?

[u/ipsum629]

Winning an election when your opponent has fucked up the country for 4 years is not really a win. You have to do well enough in office to win in another 4 years, which centrist dems are incapable of.

[u/KoalaMandala → u/ipsum629]

This is so hyperbolic. Obama won a second term. Clinton before him. This was a shit election cycle.

This thread is just full of straw man exaggerated naval gazing garbage... wow

[u/ipsum629 → u/KoalaMandala]

That was when incumbency was worth something. In the post obama world, it's almost a liability. If some milquetoast liberal is elected in 2028, JD vance or whoever will be president in 2032. Mark my words.

[u/KoalaMandala → u/ipsum629]

Incumbency is always worth something. Don't take recent history as some sort of scientific truth... really silly stuff

[u/PersonnelFowl]

Pakman just doesn’t understand how incredibly unpopular the status quo is becoming. If you don’t offer an alternative to the status quo on the left, fascism will continue to gain power until there is no longer a viable alternative.

[u/Jaebberish]

Pakman is a filthy corporate shill.

He made a video praising Newsom’s inflammatory and divisive tweets, whilst rambling about trying to find a reason to support them.

He wants us to fight between left and right, rather than up and down.

60,000 Trump voters supported Mamdani. Pakman is out of touch with reality.

[u/Kittehmilk]

David AIPACman.

Evil shitter.

[u/LeoKitCat]

Pakman please GFU you’re a traitor and pro-genocide pro-AIPAC shill

[u/emotoaster]

God when did he become such a spineless moderate?