Democrats Face 'Historic' Party Rupture

Democrats reportedly face a "historic" crisis.

That's because the party's base never has been as angry with Democrats in Congress as being displayed now.

Progressives and liberals in the party are irate that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other senate Democrats helped pass a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.

Grassroot party members want Democrats to go all out in fighting President Donald Trump and the GOP agenda.

A recent CNN poll showed that 57% of Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents said Democrats should mainly work to stop the Republican agenda. In September 2017, 74% said the party should work with Republicans to try to get some Democrat ideas into legislation.

For the first time in the Quinnipiac University Poll, though, congressional Democrats are underwater with their own voters in approval ratings in the annual first-quarter congressional polling.

The rupture among Democrats could reshape the 2026 primary election season, according to Politico.

Only 40% of Democrats approve of the job performance of congressional Democrats compared to 49% who disapprove. A year ago, 75% of Democrats approved compared to just 21% who disapproved.

The outlet said the "intensity of the anger roiling the party is at a historic level."

Still, Democrat voters are not indicating a desire to pull the party to the left or the right. Recent Gallup polling found that 45% say they want the party to become more moderate, 29% say they want it to become more liberal, and 22% say they want it to stay the same.

Progressives, however, know in what direction they want to go.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told The New York Times that he's trying to "rally people to get engaged in the political process and run as independents outside of the Democratic Party."

That might not guarantee success, as third parties continue to see their vote shares decline and polarization between the two major parties continues to rise, Politico reported. Thus, the odds of dissatisfied Democrats voting for non-Democrat candidates are extremely low.

With 13 Democrat-held Senate seats up for reelection next year, younger, insurgent candidates more closely aligned with the party base could emerge to rattle veterans.