If populism is so great, why are blue states so unaffordable? |
Coming off a successful round of elections in 2025 and a government shutdown triumph, the Democratic Party seems to be exhibiting a united front. But appearances belie reality. Beyond the headlines, a civil war is raging between the “abundance” wing and the “populist” wing of the party. After a strong effort by the abundance crowd last year, the populists are pushing back hard and appear to have the upper hand.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) issued a blistering denunciation of abundance Democrats at the National Press Club this month, accusing them of “watering down our economic agenda and sucking up to the rich and powerful.” She even named names, singling out for disapprobation venture capitalist Reid Hoffman and authors Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, who wrote the book on abundance.
To the extent that abundance is about “making government more effective,” Warren is for it. But she argued that abundance has become a “rallying cry” for “wealthy donors and corporate-aligned Democrats who are putting big-time muscle behind Democrats more favorable to big business.” She then specifically mentioned Hoffman’s support for reforming regulations that are impeding data center construction. Warren argued that data centers drive........