Ask any Democrats about their Christmas wish for the 2026 midterms, and they will tell you they want a blue tsunami that will clear the Republicans out of the House and Senate, and maybe even President Trump out of the White House. But we Democrats also have a second Christmas wish, one that is even more important. We are all wishing that the Democratic Party, once again, doesn’t grab defeat from the jaws of victory, by running bad campaigns bogged down by a lack of a solid national platform.
Sorry to be a Grinch, but along with visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads are visions of cable news pundits lecturing us about what the Democratic establishment did wrong again. Time and time again, we have seen the Democratic leadership on the brink of victory take a bazooka, give a John McClane style message to Republicans, then shoot themselves in the foot with said bazooka. And tell us all is OK and promptly shoot themselves in the other foot with said bazooka as well.
The Democrats failing when they shouldn’t is like getting socks for Christmas. But now, we can do something about it. Democratic hopefuls for 2026 seats and for the big seat in 2028 need to be inspired by Christmas heroes like McClane or Kevin McCallister of “Home Alone” or Cousin Eddie of “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and not just sit around waiting to be told what to do. Take the initiative and run your race the way you want.
There is no reason why Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D) running for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas needs to align her campaign with New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s bid for reelection. There is no reason why Democrats in the Bible Belt need to fight the same fight as Democrats in California. Democrats need to worry about winning their seats, not appeasing national voters or an establishment that doesn’t have a strong national platform.
So, run a campaign that ensures you will win your race and best resonates with your community. When the dust settles, every Democratic Party analyst, pollster, pundit, or consultant will see which candidate’s campaign did best in what areas. And guess what? That information will end up in the hands of every single 2028 hopeful who can now craft a national message.
We know that for the next year, Republicans will do what they do best. Exploit the Democratic Party’s fascination with identity politics and then start driving wedges to divide those identities. 2026 provides Democrats the opportunity to return the favor. Right now, we have everyone from Vivek Ramaswamy to Ben Shapiro begging Republican voters not to be racist or antisemitic. Erika Kirk actually sat down with Candace Owens to address the latter’s insane conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s death. Podcaster Tucker Carlson is fighting everyone over his platforming of Nick Fuentes. Ramaswamy is the only one of these people running for office, and yet the rest hold an extraordinary amount of sway in who the Republicans should run. And they are arguing over how racist they shouldn’t be.
This gives Democrats an opportunity to finally play our version of identity politics and it would work best coming from individual candidates. Instead of allowing this online mob to proclaim that “all Republicans are racists,” we can now drive a wedge between these warring factions. Trump and company used the guise of antisemitism to attack our university system. Democrats can use the actual antisemitism of Owens and Fuentes to divide and conquer.
Carlson and company are now pushing the idea of “heritage” Americans, an anti-American joke of an idea that your bloodline matters. Democrats can use that to deep six Ramaswamy whose gubernatorial campaign has come under fire from Republicans for not being American enough.
Now you know as well as I, that the Democratic establishment will do what they always do, and paint broad strokes that literally unifies Republicans. Democrats should not be afraid to be politically incorrect to turn Republicans against each other. Exploit the divide and turn the far right against the middle right as they battle to endorse candidates, making candidates trip over themselves. Just look at JD Vance.
The vice president was endorsed by Erika Kirk a full three years early for the presidency. The same Vance that called Trump “America’s Hitler,” had an interfaith marriage but wants her to change her faith, met with the leader of a German far-right party but once called Fuentes “a loser” and has changed political positions more than he has changed his name.
If Republican hopefuls waffle as much as Vance, then Democrats will have a really great Christmas in 2026. But for now, let individual candidates not worry about establishment Democrats in DC and be total John McClanes. Welcome to the New Democratic Party, pal!
Jos Joseph is a recipient of the Military Reporters and Editors award for Best Commentary/Opinion. A graduate of Harvard University and Ohio State University, he is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq. He currently lives in Anaheim, Calif. Subscribe to his Substack.
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