Hey John,
This is what we’ve been saying for a long time: Democrats’ positions on the genocide in Gaza have alienated key parts of their base and put them out of step with younger voters.
While we are facing what we know to be an authoritarian takeover of our country by Donald Trump, Democrats’ loyalty to Benjamin Netanyahu, a corrupt strongman, made Democratic leadership seem weak and unable to stand up. As Ben Rhodes writes, “Mr. Netanyahu was hugged all the way into the arms of Donald Trump.”
Now, it’s clear that we are also seeing something else: the broader Democratic base, and the entire American public, are starting to wake up.
Voters respect leaders who don’t back down when powerful interests try to bully them. If a candidate can’t stand up to a lobbyist group like AIPAC now, how will they stand up to Donald Trump and fight for us?
We’ve already seen the difference principled leadership can make in an election. One of the reasons Zohrnan Mamdani won is that New Yorkers trusted he would take on the high cost of living because they knew he stood by his principles. His readiness to face attacks from powerful figures — including Trump and wealthy pro-Israel billionaires — showed he would defend his beliefs no matter the pressure.
Still, Democratic leadership refuses to understand this.
Taking money from AIPAC is not only deeply unethical, but it’s also the kind of thing that makes voters believe Democrats are not fighting for them.
This is going to be one of the most important midterm elections in recent history, and it’s time the Democratic Party starts acting like it. Every candidate we endorse must reject financial support from AIPAC.
We know that AIPAC wants to use these midterms to keep its grip on power, even as the public turns against it. That’s why it’s so important that we send candidates who stand up against AIPAC’s corruption and against the genocide in Gaza.
In Solidarity,
Aru
