Mr. Balz’s analysis of the report generously presented the economically deterministic side of Democratic campaign tactics through Stanley B. Greenberg’s analysis. study last month of how the working class electoral base has swung. Rather than tackling economic factors too much, Democrats are not doing it enough, or at least not carefully enough. Democrats have remained silent on the economic woes of most of Virginia’s white population in 2021, pushing an environment-focused approach Clean Economy Act without releasing any sort of plan for the millions of doomed energy workers, and the gubernatorial election went to the Republican Party.

Mr. Galston and Mrs. Kamarck claim that “economic circumstances do not determine views on guns, abortion or religion”. Alignment on these three topics correlates with levels of education, a common indicator of economic status. The authors of the report neglect this relationship. And even if they were entirely disassociated, what are the Democrats supposed to do? Give in on all these grounds for the vote?

Dan Balz provided excellent background on the Democratic Party in his explanation of how the ideas discussed in “Politics of Evasion” by William A. Galston and Elaine Kamarck plague the party. Yet, I believe one of the most important points has not been emphasized enough: that Americans vote with their hearts, not after hours of deliberation.

This makes economic attractiveness falter against cultural attractiveness. While the economy requires deep knowledge and thought to analyze, drawing on American culture is very effective. The combination of this with the vocal far left of the Democratic Party is alienating many moderates and causing them to at least consider voting Republican.

This minority advocates a change that, as Mr. Galston and Ms. Kamarck said, goes against the common sense of most Americans (i.e. defunding the police). They want too much change, too fast. It provides Republican-friendly topics and appeals to the common sense of the people — including traditionally Democratic voters — and the effects on the Democratic Party could be devastating. Failure by Democrats to address these issues could pave the way for a Trump-led Republican victory in 2024, with all the potential threats to democracy that ensue.