Shane Goldmacher

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.

Yeah, the idea is, okay, Elon Musk and Donald Trump want to dismantle the Department of Education, right? So the Democratic Party doesn't just want to defend the Department of Education. They need a proactive plan for what the Department of Education will actually do for you, for your children.

Yeah, the idea is, okay, Elon Musk and Donald Trump want to dismantle the Department of Education, right? So the Democratic Party doesn't just want to defend the Department of Education. They need a proactive plan for what the Department of Education will actually do for you, for your children.

They want a plan that says, we're not just defending the Department of Education to exist because we're for the bureaucracy, but a plan for how to make that bureaucracy actually work for people.

They want a plan that says, we're not just defending the Department of Education to exist because we're for the bureaucracy, but a plan for how to make that bureaucracy actually work for people.

And in fact, after I wrote a story about this generational divide at the Democratic Party this week, the most common email I got from people was older readers saying, hey, wait a second, I'm pissed off too, right? And of course, there are old Democrats who have the same energy and there are young Democrats who are more cautious.

And in fact, after I wrote a story about this generational divide at the Democratic Party this week, the most common email I got from people was older readers saying, hey, wait a second, I'm pissed off too, right? And of course, there are old Democrats who have the same energy and there are young Democrats who are more cautious.

But in general, it's this newer group of Democrats who would begin changing the party.

But in general, it's this newer group of Democrats who would begin changing the party.

But what we do see here is the possibility of an inflection point. This spending fight is likely to be long forgotten in a sea of future spending fights and big changes that Donald Trump is making. But for Democrats... who are already running or considering running in 2026.

But what we do see here is the possibility of an inflection point. This spending fight is likely to be long forgotten in a sea of future spending fights and big changes that Donald Trump is making. But for Democrats... who are already running or considering running in 2026.

This does have the feeling of a potential moment where the party was galvanized to say, hey, the way the old guard of the party has been doing this, we don't want that anymore. Yes, Chuck Schumer might have been painted into a losing corner, but we wanted the fight anyway.

This does have the feeling of a potential moment where the party was galvanized to say, hey, the way the old guard of the party has been doing this, we don't want that anymore. Yes, Chuck Schumer might have been painted into a losing corner, but we wanted the fight anyway.

Chuck Schumer might have made a decision that was strategic, that was protecting his party for worse outcomes in the short term or even the medium term. But that action could have long-term consequences for the way the Democratic Party behaves far into the future.

Chuck Schumer might have made a decision that was strategic, that was protecting his party for worse outcomes in the short term or even the medium term. But that action could have long-term consequences for the way the Democratic Party behaves far into the future.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll be right back.

We'll be right back.

Deep in the wilderness.