Should Democratic candidates move to the center?

The Editorial Board of the New York Times ran an opinion piece entitled “Moving to the Center is the Way to Win.”  It analyzed a number of races in which Democrats won in 2024 in districts that Trump also carried.  The conclusion was that the more “progressive” Democrats did not win those seats.  The candidates who won were not like A.O.C. and Bernie Sanders but rather fell into the middle of the ideological spectrum.

The article noted that even Trump had moved toward the center on some issues, for example opposing abortion but also noting that he would veto a national abortion ban.  

I do get a little tired of this “move to the center” advice, however.  Here’s what the Editorial Board should have advised.  Know your constituents and act accordingly.  After all, A.O.C. did win in her district.  Bernie Sanders wins in Vermont.  Mamdani will probably win in New York

Some Democratic silliness, of course, has done all kinds of damage.  Watching thousands of people come across the border in a few days and pretending this is not a big deal was just stupid.  The “defund the police” chant was never a serious Democratic position, but it was out there and used by the Republicans as a club.  

If you say you favor race-based affirmative action, that is going to lose you an election.  On the other hand, if you say you favor helping qualified low income students, no matter what their race or gender, you will gain votes.  If you say that “trans” people should not be fired if they are doing their jobs, most voters will agree.  If you say that trans boys should play in girls’ sports, most voters, including me, will disagree.

Know your voters.  Discuss issues that matter to them.  Controlling data centers.  Lowering health care costs.  Vocational training.  Inexpensive housing.  Moving the homeless out of downtown parks and into programs.  Arresting shoplifters.  Saving endangered species.  Following the Constitution.

You can make up your own list.  It isn’t that you move to the center.  It is that you reflect the interests and concerns of your voters.  That does not mean you need to appeal to their prejudices.  It means you need to appeal to their core concerns.