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Friday, November 6, 2026
The midterms are mostly over, and the Blue Tsunami has a raft of Democrat leaders trying to get on the same page about what it all means. Sen. Chuck Schumer is likely feeling very good about the candidate selection that led to the historic results, but a growing chorus within the Democratic caucus says this is not the time for him to return as Majority Leader. That’s just one facet of what’s not quite a Democratic Civil War, of course, but a big-tent party searching for the best takeaway from an election that saw both Adam Hamilton and Abdul El-Sayed win their races with notably different positions. Is woke back? Or is it still the economy, stupid? Centrists vs. progressives is a persistent narrative, while the more populist haves vs. have-nots is a less convenient story for members of Congress who have done very well looking after the haves.
01. Prices or Vibes? Democrats Start Fighting Over Why They Won as the 2028 Calls Begin
[Gaining Traction]. Clyburn fields calls from 2028 hopefuls, and Van Hollen and Booker keep powder dry in backing Schumer. Are the Democrats already in disarray?
Rep. Jim Clyburn fielded four phone calls the day after the midterms. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was one of them. Clyburn told Playbook the next Democratic presidential nominee must “demonstrate the ability to manage” and should not “get carried away with sound bites and how many followers you got on the internet.” Wise words.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told CNN the next nominee “needs to be a Democratic governor.” Senator Chris Van Hollen weighs his own run and has not yet endorsed Chuck Schumer for leader, and neither has Cory Booker. Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed wants Van Hollen in the job.
Fox & Friends presented this as a Schumer revolt montage Friday morning. Lawrence Jones said Democrats “just elected a bunch of articulate gangsters” and predicted Schumer goes first. Greg Gutfeld argued that the ballot measures prove Republicans are “right in ideas even if our candidates are dorks.” Dorks! CNN spent a segment on “woke 3.0” memes, which led to one panelist noting that memes aren’t votes (but here we are talking about them!) Morning Joe counted the Republican House districts James Talarico carried and astutely left the memes alone.
TAKEAWAY: The Democratic introspection is an uncomfortable yet important post-election process, as it is also with the GOP, especially in a post-Trump political landscape. Given the low approval ratings of Trump, the Dems, and the GOP, maybe the old partisan spectrum construct is what’s becoming outdated.