EDITORIAL: Democrats have taken a hard turn to the far left

It’s conventional wisdom among many in the pundit class that Republicans have drifted significantly to the right in recent years. But while Donald Trump’s influence on the GOP has been significant on many issues, most members of the party remain supportive of its traditional positions, including free markets, lower taxes, a smaller bureaucracy and self-reliance.

In fact, the more profound political evolution of modern times has been the Democratic Party’s rapid lurch to the far left — and American voters are starting to notice.

The rise of Bernie Sanders, the radical progressives known as “The Squad,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and others reveals the rapid ascendancy within the Democratic Party of those who prefer the siren songs of socialism, collectivism and tribalism over the founding principles of individual liberty and economic freedom that made this nation the most prosperous and powerful in history.

According to a recent CNN poll, one in three Democrats surveyed now identifies as a democratic “socialist.” That number rises to 42 percent among Democrats who are younger than 35. Meanwhile, the percent of Democrats who say they are “very liberal” has quadrupled over the past 25 years.

“Back in 1999,” Harry Enten, the cable network’s poll analyst, explained last week, “26 percent of Democrats self-identified as conservative. Just 5 percent said that they were very liberal. It was a smidgen, a smidgen, a smidgen. Now, that far left has gained considerably in power. Look at this. Now we’re talking about a fifth of Democrats. Twenty-one percent say they’re very liberal. That conservative part of the Democratic Party, adios amigos, goodbye. Just 8 percent.”

This development has political ramifications. According to the CNN survey, 58 percent of Americans believe Democrats are too liberal, up from 42 percent in 1996 and 48 percent in 2013. “The Democrats are moving to the left,” Mr. Enten said. “The far left is gaining power, and there could be some electoral repercussions because what we see right now is voters, the clear majority, say that they are too liberal.”

Part of that is no doubt the relentless obsession with identity politics and cultural divisions, which have essentially overwhelmed the Democratic Party’s message on the kitchen table issues that often drive election outcomes. It’s worth noting that, for progressive firebrands, garnering national support or winning a purple state is much more difficult than carrying a safe, gerrymandered district in a deep blue jurisdiction.

Make no mistake, the GOP faces high hurdles as the midterms approach, regardless of CNN’s poll numbers. But if the Democratic Party becomes synonymous with the “S” word, and blue states continue losing residents, Republicans will have plenty of opportunities in the long run for electoral success.

The views expressed above are those of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.