Shane Goldmacher

And if there's one moment that crystallizes the Tea Party's strategy during those years, it's what Ted Cruz did in the fall of 2013. Why? Senator from Texas. because this is when he pushed his Republican colleagues to shut down the federal government as a last-ditch effort to stop Obamacare.

And it was clear at the time that Ted Cruz had no path to victory here, that Barack Obama was not going to sign a measure to unwind his signature achievement. But the tactic, it was to fight, it was to fight, and it was to mobilize that anger and say, I am out here with you. I am willing to have this fight even if we can't win. And suddenly you see Democrats in the same place.

And it was clear at the time that Ted Cruz had no path to victory here, that Barack Obama was not going to sign a measure to unwind his signature achievement. But the tactic, it was to fight, it was to fight, and it was to mobilize that anger and say, I am out here with you. I am willing to have this fight even if we can't win. And suddenly you see Democrats in the same place.

This last week, they were talking about using the exact same tool, shutting down the federal government without necessarily an endgame, that the fight itself was worth having because if you didn't have the fight, you weren't actually speaking to where Democratic voters are.

This last week, they were talking about using the exact same tool, shutting down the federal government without necessarily an endgame, that the fight itself was worth having because if you didn't have the fight, you weren't actually speaking to where Democratic voters are.

It's anything to avoid the current status quo. And to be clear, this energy and this dynamic was there before this shutdown fight. And this split inside the Democratic Party, it sort of begins generationally. It's the younger generation of Democratic officials who are expressing the greatest level of frustration.

It's anything to avoid the current status quo. And to be clear, this energy and this dynamic was there before this shutdown fight. And this split inside the Democratic Party, it sort of begins generationally. It's the younger generation of Democratic officials who are expressing the greatest level of frustration.

In the House of Representatives, there's a private text messaging chain among Democrats who've served for five terms or fewer. That means they've only served in the post-Trump era. The only Republican Party that they have seen is the changed post-Tea Party Republican Party.

In the House of Representatives, there's a private text messaging chain among Democrats who've served for five terms or fewer. That means they've only served in the post-Trump era. The only Republican Party that they have seen is the changed post-Tea Party Republican Party.

And they want to change the Democratic Party from within. And they're looking to push out and defeat older Democrats in primaries, potentially, in open seats, and even on Capitol Hill. This actually began before Trump was sworn in, in these obscure races to be the top Democrat on various policy committees. There were three more senior Democrats at the end of last year who were all ousted.

And they want to change the Democratic Party from within. And they're looking to push out and defeat older Democrats in primaries, potentially, in open seats, and even on Capitol Hill. This actually began before Trump was sworn in, in these obscure races to be the top Democrat on various policy committees. There were three more senior Democrats at the end of last year who were all ousted.

by younger lawmakers who said, we need a new face, a more engaged fighter, and they won. And Trump's arrival only accelerated that energy on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, where I'm already hearing about congressional primary challenges on a generational basis in multiple states across the country.

by younger lawmakers who said, we need a new face, a more engaged fighter, and they won. And Trump's arrival only accelerated that energy on Capitol Hill and on the campaign trail, where I'm already hearing about congressional primary challenges on a generational basis in multiple states across the country.

I think this younger generation of Democrats share something else in common, which is that they are experiencing a dimming of the American dream, that it is harder to buy a house, that it is harder to pay for childcare, that they no longer believe that they or their children are going to have better lives. futures than their parents.

I think this younger generation of Democrats share something else in common, which is that they are experiencing a dimming of the American dream, that it is harder to buy a house, that it is harder to pay for childcare, that they no longer believe that they or their children are going to have better lives. futures than their parents.

And they approach this with an urgency and a need to have a kind of agenda that is more proactive to solve those problems. They want to see the Democratic Party not just fight harder, but propose bigger solutions that meet the kind of frustrations that voters have the same anger at the system that helped bring about Donald Trump.

And they approach this with an urgency and a need to have a kind of agenda that is more proactive to solve those problems. They want to see the Democratic Party not just fight harder, but propose bigger solutions that meet the kind of frustrations that voters have the same anger at the system that helped bring about Donald Trump.

They want to be able to tap into that anchor and say, we're not just for the status quo. We're not just defending institutions. We want to rebuild them, and we have a very specific plan and vision to do it. And frankly, they haven't unified behind one yet, right? We're talking about this... as a hypothetical. But there is the germs of we need bigger and bolder ideas.

They want to be able to tap into that anchor and say, we're not just for the status quo. We're not just defending institutions. We want to rebuild them, and we have a very specific plan and vision to do it. And frankly, they haven't unified behind one yet, right? We're talking about this... as a hypothetical. But there is the germs of we need bigger and bolder ideas.

And it really is a genuine open question inside the Democratic Party of which ideological wing will end up winning out to define what the party actually stands for.