The so-called Squad has been a vocal and obnoxious part of the progressive side of the Democrat party since they got together at a sleep-over, braiding each other’s hair and planning to take over the world one ridiculous statement at a time. But they may be in a little too deep now, and their inflammatory comments regarding the Israeli-Palestinian war may cost them their political careers.
Few things have divided the Democrat party like the war in Gaza, and voters are taking note ahead of upcoming elections. Moderate Democrats are hoping to unseat controversial and widely unlikable Squad founders Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-MY), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Pramila Jayapa (D-WA) over their vocal and unpopular support of Hamas.
The Squad has extended its reach, incorporating equally deluded congressional members like Summer Lee (D-PA), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Jamaal Bowman (D-MY). These members, along with more than 15 “squad-adjacent” representatives, have refused to condemn Hamas for its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Ritchie Torres (D-NY) initially voted not to condemn Hamas but seeing the backlash against his fellow Democrats who refuse to support Israel, he quickly released a statement claiming his vote was “accidental” and has now “submitted a correction for the record.”
Torres understands something the Squad does not: supporting Hamas is a career-ender.
Matt Bennet, executive vice president for public affairs at Third Way, expressed his frustration over the Squad. Calling them “very problematic” for the Democrats, he explains that they have complicated “what it means to be a Democrat” in swing states. Calling them “outsized and very loud,” he adds that members like Bush have “said a lot of things that are going to be weaponized against her Democratic colleagues,” going on to say that no one would be disappointed if a “more mainstream Democrat” beats her in a primary.
Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, remarked, “The well-organized, particularly those with resources like money, view the primaries as an opportunity to resolve disputes.” He went on to explain that The Squad has become a target. Israeli Zionist interests believe additional funding could have swayed outcomes, such as Ilhan Omar’s narrow 2% victory.
The Democratic Majority for Israel Pac (DMFI Pac) recently released a six-figure ad campaign to target Tlaib. As the only Palestinian American in the House, Tlaib became the focus of the ad campaign, with a narrator asserting that she’s “on the wrong side of history and humanity.”
DMFI Pac released its first set of endorsements for the 2024 election cycle this week. The organization’s chair, Mark Mellman, emphasized that the 81 endorsed candidates have demonstrated a solid commitment to the party’s values, particularly in “advancing and strengthening the US-Israel relationship.”
Highlighting their success in the 2021-22 election cycle, DMFI Pac reported that their endorsed candidates secured victories in over 80% of their races. This support ushered in 21 new “pro-Israel Democrats” to Congress, reinforcing the group’s influence within the Democratic Party.
With Democrats turning on each other, the party is growing increasingly alarmed. Ezra Levin, the co-executive director of Indivisible, a grassroots progressive movement, emphasized the risk of losing focus on defeating Trump. He expressed his concerns that expensive, highly publicized primary contests in this cycle that deepen divisions within the Democratic coalition threaten the party’s success in the general election.
Democrat strategists advise that Democrats should refrain from engaging in ideological battles and focus on reclaiming seats held by Republicans, like Michelle Vallejo, who is vying for the most contested congressional seat in Texas, and Mondaire Jones, who is working to reclaim his New York seat. Campaign strategists warn that Democrats should not succumb to internal conflicts and should focus on “playing a smart political fame.”
Chris Scott, the co-founder and president of the Advance the Electorate PAC, cautions Democrats that the issue will only worsen and predicts that the primaries will “get nasty.” He warns, My worry is, do we get in a fight with the primaries and start trying to do all this spending going against Democrats because we don’t necessarily agree on the same issue,” adding that the in-fighting will lead to losses of seats that should have been easily won.
The Squad and its supporters may have ensured their losses because they refuse to sit down and shut up on one of the most controversial issues of this generation. Like Anheuser-Busch learned, sometimes playing the middle and staying safe is better than dying on an unpopular hill.