Leadership Blues

Liberals turn their lonely eyes elsewhere:

Yesterday afternoon, Newsweek released a story, “Almost Half of Democrats Say a Third Party Is Necessary — Poll” The Democratic Party has struggled with unpopularity and internal dissatisfaction since the sweeping defeat, facing pronounced ideological and generational divides, compounded by widespread voter frustration with congressional leaders and the party's overall direction. According to this latest poll, 47% of Democrats believe a third party is now “necessary.” Potentially, this could leave the Donkeys divided for the midterms and beyond: Forget about trying to win over independents, moderates, or even conservatives — if they split, it’s only a 50-50 shot they’ll retain their own! The article continued: The poll comes as voters' disapproval of Democratic members in Congress has increased since February, per a recent Quinnipiac poll of 1,265 registered voters nationwide, conducted between June 5 and June 9. Seventy percent of participants said they disapprove of how Democrats are handling their jobs in Congress, while 21 percent approve. Among Democrats, 53 percent disapprove, and 41 percent approve. Just 9 percent of Republicans approve of Democrats' performance, while 84 percent disapprove. A similar Quinnipiac University poll of 1,039 registered voters in February found that 68 percent of participants disapproved of congressional Democrats and 52 percent disapproved of congressional Republicans. Several high-profile Democrats have either switched parties or identified as independent, with former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announcing her departure from the party in June. It beckons the very obvious question: Why hasn’t a liberal leader with presidential aspirations exploited this opening?

Will the next liberal leader please step up...