Who is Leading the Democratic Party?

Not all that long ago, the Democrats controlled it all, just as the GOP does now. Nancy Pelosi was our powerful Speaker, Chuck Schumer had to contend with Manchema, but got some really important and consequential legislation across. President Biden had public and political support for the first year of his term, but it gradually withered away until the party didn’t want him to run for reelection. Today we’re totally out of power. So who’s running the Dem Party?

“Politics abhors a vacuum,” in homage to Aristotle”Nature abhors a vacuum.” (horror vacui in Latin, for those readers who are also dead language enthusiasts.)

In nature or politics, if there is a vacuum, something will fill it. Civilizations collapse and are reclaimed by the jungles, the deserts, or waters. In politics, when there is no leader, one will come along, and quality may not be the issue.

We’ve seen this notion of leadership play out in both parties.

In Ronald Reagan, the Republicans had a genuine leader. He managed to get through most of his agenda in the face of lopsided Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. His success was based upon having such widespread popular support that even Dems in DC were receiving letters and calls to vote with the President.

The Democrats had real leaders in Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Whether the Dems held all or no legislative powers, these Presidents were the highest and most important people in the party, and their word was almost…