Veteran journalist and author Joe Klein sharply criticized the Democratic Party following its recent Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting, arguing that the party’s current trajectory reflects deep intellectual and structural decay.
In a new article published on his Sanity Clause Substack series, Klein dissected the proceedings of last week’s DNC meeting, citing what he described as excessive focus on complex gender rules and internal identity politics. He stated that the party’s decline is worse than he has ever seen.
“Yes, friends, still crazy after all these years… and the encroaching dementia is not benign. Can this party be saved? I have my doubts,” Klein wrote after detailing new gender balance rules adopted by the committee.
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Klein referenced The Atlantic staff writer Jonathan Chait’s report on the meeting, which highlighted the difficulty outgoing DNC Chair Jaime Harrison had in explaining the committee’s gender rules for its vice-chair race.
“The rules specify that when we have a gender-nonbinary candidate or officer, the nonbinary individual is counted as neither male nor female, and the remaining six officers must be gender balanced,” Harrison stated, according to Chait.
I can’t believe what I just listened to. The DNC Leader interrupted the party election to tell members that not enough non-binary candidates have been elected, so they MUST now vote for one.
“With the results of the previous four elections, our elected officers are currently two… pic.twitter.com/8CelMVzyE6
— George (@BehizyTweets) February 1, 2025
Klein also quoted Wall Street Journal reporter Molly Ball, who noted that one audience member at the meeting protested the allocation of only one at-large seat for a transgender person.
The individual called for more representation, arguing for additional seats to “reflect the gender and ethnic diversity of the transgender community.”
Klein, best known for his work at Time magazine and as the anonymous author of Primary Colors, reacted to these reports by stating that the party has become detached from reality.
“The intellectual corrosion is comprehensive; it is only matched by the self-righteous arrogance. But what’s the alternative?” Klein asked.
“I’ve been through Dems in Disarray syndrome multiple times in the past: in 1972, in 1980, in 1988, in 2016… but, gotta say, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it.”
Klein went further, blaming the party’s decline for allowing Donald Trump’s political ascension.
“The Democrats have twice now enabled a World-Historic Demagogue to be elected President of the United States,” he wrote.
“One wonders if Trump’s reelection will stand with Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon.”
He also pointed to Biden’s alignment with Senator Bernie Sanders’ progressive wing in 2020, arguing that it introduced “left-nuttiness below the radar throughout the government.”
“Every so often, the nuttiness would surface—as with the chaos at the Southern border—and Biden would do nothing about it,” Klein added.
Elsewhere in his column, Klein advocated for a major restructuring of the Democratic Party, citing The Free Press writer Ruy Teixeira’s recommendations, which included:
- Avoiding calling Trump a “fascist.”
- Moderating on immigration policy.
- Acknowledging areas where Trump is correct.
- Embracing “energy abundance.”
Klein added his own perspective, arguing that reform must come from outside the party, similar to the Democratic Leadership Conference movement of the early 1990s.
“The Democratic Party needs to be challenged—from the outside, by like-minded people, as it was in the early 1990s by the Democratic Leadership Conference,” Klein wrote.
He stated that such a movement must be backed by “big-time financial support” and “big-time courage from Dem politicians.”
However, he admitted that such reform remains unlikely in the current political climate.
“But, yeah, I’m dreaming…” he concluded.
Klein’s critique highlights growing discontent within Democratic circles as the party navigates internal divisions ahead of the next election cycle.
His assessment raises questions about whether the Democrats will reassess their strategies or continue on their current path.
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