The Good Fight Ruy Teixeira on What the Liberal Patriot Closure Says About the Center Left
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Apr 7, 2026 
Ruy Teixeira, senior fellow and political analyst who co-founded The Liberal Patriot, reflects on why a center-left project folded. He discusses cultural shifts driving away working-class voters. Short takes cover party realignment, primary pressures, DEI and immigration debates, and what it would take to rebuild a durable coalition.
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Center Left Misread Trump's Base
- Teixeira traces a major shift: the center-left moved culturally left after Obama and especially after Trump, interpreting Trump voters mainly as racist rather than economically aggrieved.
- That misdiagnosis led elites to double down on cultural activism instead of addressing working-class economic concerns.
Democrats Are Losing Working Class Support
- Teixeira warns Democrats ignored declining support among both white and non-white working-class voters after 2016 and 2020 despite repeated internal warnings.
- He argues Biden governed left of his campaign, reflecting a party whose center of gravity had shifted toward activist professional classes.
Don't Treat Electoral Wins As Sufficient
- Do not rely solely on Trump unpopularity to secure long-term Democratic success; treat 2026 gains as temporary without structural change.
- Teixeira recommends changing underlying positions on culture and policy to rebuild a stable majority.
