The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are having a very good week. They picked up victories in New York, immediately started talking about where they’re headed next, and suddenly Colorado, Michigan, and Wisconsin are all part of the conversation.
What caught my attention was how quickly the conversation shifted to expansion. Before the ink was dry on the election results, the DSA was already talking about the next states on the map.
The DSA is now looking to replicate its playbook across the country, starting Tuesday in the Democratic primary in Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, a solidly blue seat anchored in Denver that then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried by a whopping 56 points in the 2024 election.
[…]The far left is also training its firepower in two high-profile statewide Democratic primaries in early August in key battleground states: the Senate showdown in Michigan and Wisconsin’s gubernatorial contest.
DSA-aligned Abdul El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director who unsuccessfully ran for governor eight years ago, is one of three major candidates trying to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. – FOX News
That’s not how movements behave when they think they’re just getting started. That’s how they behave when they think they’ve found an opening.
One thing I do agree with is that this looks less like a fight between Republicans and Democrats and more like a fight inside the Democratic Party itself.
That’s what makes the DSA’s confidence so interesting.
They’re not talking about defeating Republicans. They’re talking about replacing Democrats they think have become too cautious, too moderate, or too willing to compromise.
That isn’t a movement looking for a seat at the table. It’s a movement looking for the head of it.
We want to expand democracy in every part of our lives. We want a true democracy. And we want to bring working people into the movement who had previously checked out of the political process. pic.twitter.com/Sb0m4PjHga
— DSA (@DemSocialists) June 28, 2026
Watching the DSA’s latest video on X, I noticed they weren’t talking like a fringe movement anymore. They were talking directly to working people who feel ignored by the political establishment. That’s a familiar political playbook. The Tea Party used it. MAGA used it. Now the DSA is using it. The policies are different, but the strategy is instantly recognizable.
Calling this a hijacking lets Democrats off the hook.
The DSA didn’t invent these ideas last week. It didn’t force its way into the party. Democrats spent years making room for activists who kept pushing the party further left. Eventually, those activists stop asking for influence and start expecting leadership.
One thing history keeps teaching us is that freedom usually isn’t lost because people suddenly decide they hate it.
It’s lost because they slowly become convinced that government can manage their lives just a little bit better than they can.
That’s the real danger. Socialism doesn’t usually arrive waving a red flag. It arrives promising to help. That’s what we’re watching now.
I don’t know what’s more casual these days—MS NOW’s dress code or the way socialism is being sold.
Socialism has never needed a majority of true believers. It just needs enough people willing to shrug and say, “It can’t happen here.” History has a habit of humiliating people who think bad ideas always lose.
Political marketing has gotten a lot smarter. Nobody starts a campaign with, “Here’s a 47-page platform you’ll probably hate.” They lead with words like freedom, democracy, fairness, opportunity, and working families because they’re almost impossible to argue with.
That’s why this line from the DSA’s latest video caught my attention:
“We want to expand democracy in every part of our lives.”
That sounds great until you stop and ask a simple question.
What does that actually mean?
America is a constitutional republic that elects its leaders democratically. Somewhere along the way, “democracy” stopped being a form of government and started becoming a marketing slogan. Today it’s attached to almost anything politicians want you to support.
That’s why I don’t get excited when I hear promises to “expand democracy.” Expand it how?
Does that mean more elections?
Those aren’t the same thing.
Socialism has never been sold by telling people they’re about to have less freedom, less choice, or more government. It’s always sold as compassion. Fairness. Security. Opportunity. Help.
The sales pitch changes. The destination doesn’t.
It’s not just about the DSA winning a few primaries. It’s about ideas that once lived on the political fringe suddenly sounding ordinary enough that people stop questioning where they lead.
The DSA didn’t kick the door down. Democrats spent years unlocking it. Now they’re acting surprised that someone walked through.
Featured Image: AI-generated illustration.
George V says: “…promises to “expand democracy.””
I think their idea of “expand democracy” mean more people voting. No reason why all people who happen to be present in the US in any capacity should not have the right to vote. After all, what could be more fair?
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