CNN data analyst stunned by Democratic Party’s takeover by Mamdani’s fellow travelers

Liberals hold the reins of the Democratic Party, but their grasp is slipping — and it appears that those radical leftists who’ve long been jockeying for control of the party may soon be in the coachman’s seat.

Earlier this year, democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani took control of America’s biggest city. Earlier this month, Democratic Socialists of America member Nithya Raman advanced in the Los Angeles mayoral race to a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Last week, DSA candidate Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Washington, D.C.

‘Capitalism has absolutely fallen through the floor.’

On the heels of these and other signs of democratic socialists’ ascendancy within the broader Democratic camp, CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, noted, “The democratic socialists seem to be doing considerably better than they used to be — and they have the chance to knock off, in fact, Democratic incumbents in Congress.”

Enten suggested that part of what is driving the socialists’ success is their growing favorability among Democrats.

“Net favorability among Dems, Democratic Socialists of America — look at that, a plus-17-point net favorability rating among Democrats,” said Enten.

“That is better than how congressional Democrats are viewed by Democrats. It just lost four points. So no wonder that democratic socialists have such a good chance, because simply put, they are a better brand at this point than Democrats in Congress.”

According to a national Marquette Law School poll conducted in April, 41% of Democrats have a favorable opinion of the DSA. Among those Democrats who view the DSA favorably, 43% described themselves as “very liberal” and 25% referred to themselves as “moderate.”

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Democratic Socialists of America-hosted rally in the Bronx. Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images.

Enten highlighted that democratic socialism’s rise within the Democratic Party comes amid declining support for capitalism.

Gallup polling showed in September that 54% of Americans had a positive image of capitalism, down from 61% in 2010. Thirty-nine percent of respondents said that they had a positive image of socialism, up from 36% in 2010.

When broken down by party affiliation, the pollsters found that Republicans’ perception of capitalism had improved — from 71% in 2010 to 74% last year. For Democrats, the positive perception of capitalism declined from 51% in 2010 to 42% in 2025.

While only 14% of Republicans said they viewed socialism in a positive light last year, 66% of Democrats signaled a positive perception of the ruinous economic and political philosophy — up from 50% in 2010.

“Capitalism has absolutely fallen through the floor,” Enten said in reference to this data.

“Socialism, on the other hand, up like a rocket.”

Enten said of the Democratic Party’s embrace of socialism, “This to me is one of the more stunning trends … that I have seen in covering politics over the last 15, 16 years. And if you believe the prediction markets, it’s not going to just stop suddenly.”

The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has similarly highlighted the DSA’s ascendancy, concluding that regardless of whether socialist candidates succeed in New York’s Democratic congressional primary on Tuesday, “the DSA agenda is gaining among Democrats.”

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