Interesting Times with Ross Douthat The Democrats Could Still Screw This Up
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Mar 12, 2026 
Chris Hayes, progressive commentator and host of All In With Chris Hayes, offers sharp takes on where Democrats stand in 2026. He discusses how Israel and immigration fractures reshape the party. He profiles potential leaders who might bridge voters. He also explores how AI’s concentration of power could reshape politics and policy.
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Winning Senators Mix Moral Rhetoric And Moderate Votes
- Successful Democratic statewide politicians blend moral alarm about Trump with centrist policy records.
- Hayes cites Mark Kelly, Ruben Gallego, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff as rhetorically addressing crisis yet voting pragmatically.
Attention Mastery Is A Political Skill
- Attention economy skills matter politically; Newsom’s strength is grabbing and holding attention.
- Hayes links his book The Siren's Call to the need for modern politicians to master algorithm-driven attention to reach voters.
Left Has Momentum But Lacks Fundable Vision
- The left has political wind on economic critiques but lacks a clear, fundable vision for large-scale redistribution.
- Hayes notes public pessimism about capitalism and rising left influence (e.g., democratic socialist mayor) yet financing durable welfare remains unresolved.