This is not a facetious question. I know I can technically ask AI but i don’t think this is a simple answer TBH, as I am confused about process, and I do not know enough about US politics.
All my life when observing US politics (which I don’t really do for fun) there has generally been a very visible opposition leader, you know their name their stance etc. It’s the same for most major powers. But for the USA I simply do not know anymore. I get the jist there is only 2 parties but the democratic party seems like its just disappeared. Previously there was news of candidates etc but that’s just gone.
What is happening? and who is the leader of the opposition now?
I am not looking for a bunch of FTrump answers, it would be great to have a discussion that’s rational and not about him.
Tbh it could just be that the dems are doing a China move: do nothing and win
Right now trump can either reference Biden, knowing people are sick of that, or he simply doesn’t have a definite target, “the radical left”. An emerging leader of the centre would give him a target. So it makes sense they stay quiet.
I’m not a us citizen tho, I know that there is a lot of political activism, especially around the DSA, and the recent big protests are good signs. What I expect is that whoever ends up being the democratic leader will have a very hard time being a centrist. The demo-socialists have a big chance, but corporate media is also going to play its role in supporting a rethoric of “now that we’ve seen crazy let’s go for someone respectable, not another crazy”.
The opposition, in the wide sense, is basically Sanders and the DSA, in my view, because they are popular and they are winning some local elections, including NY. But I still doubt they are going to be the face of the dem strategy for 2028, let alone the midterms.
There’s a saying in US politics. “The Democrats fall in love and the Republicans fall in line.”
Obama, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton were all great speakers who could connect with voters at a personal level. Gore, Hillary Clinton, and the other losing candidates never had that spark.
There were a lot of “Never Trump” GOPs who shut up and fell in line once he got the nomination. Lindsay Graham said Trump was terrible, then turned around and kissed his feet repeatedly.