The DSA Is Only Using the Democratic Party
The Atlantic argues that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are attempting a hostile takeover of the Democratic Party by pushing it toward identity politics and isolationism. The author suggests that mainstream Democrats should look to historical examples, such as Neil Kinnock's reform of the British Labour Party, to reclaim their political platform.
Why it matters
This analysis reflects ongoing internal tensions within the U.S. political landscape regarding the influence of progressive factions on major parties.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Getty. July 21, 2026, 6 AM ET Share Save Even after a string of recent victories in congressional primaries by members of the Democratic Socialists of America, national Democrats appear slow to recognize that ideologues on the left are attempting a hostile takeover of the party. The DSA’s ascent comes on the heels of a yearslong effort by socialists and progressive activists to steer one of America’s two major political parties toward identity politics, isolationism, and hostility to capitalism.
Democrats looking for a way to reclaim their party can find inspiration in the career of Neil Kinnock, who in the mid-1980s rescued the British Labour Party from a determined band of sectarian zealots.
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