Populist Dem Message Replaces Progressive Message

Populist Dem Message Replaces Progressive Message

Fair or not, voters have distaste and distrust this year for any candidate running under the “progressive” banner that was so wildly popular just last year.

“I essentially believe that ‘progressive’ is the wrong “P” to be describing yourself as this cycle,” said a Democratic strategist working on congressional campaigns across the country. “ ‘Populist’ is the way to go.”

Candidates, he said, should appear as an outsider who will fight for Main Street, not Wall Street.

Because the concerns of independents will continue to dominate the electoral landscape, the best that progressive candidates can do is...