Local opinion: Young people are sending a message to Democratic Party

In the aftermath of the election, many — especially young people — were overcome with fear and uncertainty. I know I was. A sense of doom hung in the air. We had just elected a convicted felon, a fraud, and a rapist to the highest office in the country. What were we supposed to do now?

But something is shifting. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, but I feel it in my friends, my family, in conversations, and even in myself. The despair is still there, but it’s mixed with a growing energy — a determination to stand up and fight back, knowing full well that the next four years won’t be easy. More and more people are realizing that we need a real opposition party, and the usual vague statements from Democrats aren’t cutting it.

A mom working two jobs doesn’t have time to read a carefully worded press release — she needs action. My friends and I want Democrats to have both feet on the ground, fists swinging, and right now, most of the party isn’t delivering.

The youth electorate is not a monolith. The 2024 election made that painfully clear. Young people turned out for Trump in greater numbers, and Harris failed to hold onto them — despite all the TikTok clout and celebrity endorsements meant to hype us up. Maybe instead of Beyoncé only showing up to a rally, she should have knocked on some doors too. Young people aren’t moved by spectacle; we want results, and we don’t care who delivers them. We want leaders who are fighters and visionaries, not politicians who talk in circles. We need someone willing to go to the mat for Medicare for All, affordable housing, a living wage, public education, and LGBTQ+ rights. And even if these goals seem impossible under a right-wing, fascist administration, we expect our leaders — especially Democrats, who warn us every four years that the sky is falling — to at least die trying. Because this time, the sky might actually be falling.

Most Democrats are failing, but we are also seeing real resistance and momentum building. I saw it firsthand when I attended the Fighting Oligarchy town hall hosted by Bernie Sanders and AOC. Families and young people are showing up in massive numbers, proving there is a base hungry for real leadership. The Democratic Party needs to take note: people aren’t looking for half-measures, lukewarm compromises, or more do-nothing Democrats bought out by corporations. They want leaders who will fight like hell for them. And if Democrats don’t step up, young and working-class voters will find someone who will.

The old way of Democratic politicking isn’t working anymore, and that only creates space for dangerous movements and extremist Republicans to pull people into their base. We just lost a huge chunk of working-class voters — to this Republican Party, the same one stripping away every public good and social service they can get its hands on, from Social Security to public education.

My message to Democrats is simple: run on a true working-class agenda, strategize and put up a fight. And to those in office who can’t grasp the urgency of this moment — get out of the way.

But hey, who am I? Oh, that’s right. Your base.