How the Democrats Must Respond to the DSA Movement: A Time for Courage

Since the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) adherents won primary victories in New York, New Jersey and Colorado among other states, the media has been buzzing about the impending takeover of the Democratic Party by the extreme left. How serious a problem is this and is there any action Democratic Party regulars can take to protect their party and its heritage? This blog has not been partial to the Democratic Party but recognizes the need for a vibrant two party system in the United States consistent with our history, traditions, laws, Constitution and form of government. The threat and challenge the Democrats face is not unique. Other parties, major and minor, have faced the threat of entryism previously. In some cases the party has prevailed, in other cases it has become extinct.

Parties must be alert to understand the challenge of entryism. As a tactic it was created by Leon Trotsky in the 1930s in France. Trotsky, a Menshevik turned Bolshevik, founder of the Red Army, close collaborator of Lenin and Soviet War Minister fell out of favor after Lenin's death. Favoring promoting world revolution, he lost out in a Bolshevik power struggle with Josef Stalin, who advocated Communism in one country. Exiled from the Soviet Union, he spent time in various countries until he found refuge in Mexico, where he was murdered by NKVD agents in 1940.. Trotsky and his followers in France attempted a takeover of the French Socialist Party. They understood that in any organization only a small percentage of members are active. The great majority pay their dues (if any) and are passive in their membership activity. With this scenario, any organization, of whatever sort, is susceptible to takeover by an activist minority. This maneuver, in political science terminology, is called entryism. Trotsky and his followers failed but the pattern and techniques were set for other groups. A noteworthy success was the takeover of the American Labor Party (ALP) by the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) during the 1930s. The ALP was founded by mainstream labor leaders in New York State in an effort to give another voting line to favored candidates of the labor movement. New York State permits candidates for office to run on multiple lines and their votes can be added in the final tally. The ALP generally supported candidates of the Democratic Party, but offered their line for additional votes as some voters would not vote on the Democratic line but preferred the ALP. Summing the votes from multiple allied lines were often the margin of victory for a labor supported candidate. CPUSA, founded in 1918, was notable for having both above and underground wings and its loyal support of the Soviet Union. CPUSA activists infiltrated the ALP and soon achieved control of that party. They ran Communist backed candidates, even electing some, most notably Vito Marcantonio, to various offices. Marcantonio served seven terms in the House of Representatives as the only ALP member save for a short period when a second Representative, Leo Isaacson represented the Bronx. It is instructive that Isaacson won a special election in 1948, but lost his seat in the general election held in November 1948. The defeat of Isaacson demonstrated that a strong Democratic candidate could defeat the ALP candidate. Marcantonio died in 1954. The ALP died shortly afterwards as it was no longer a political force in New York. The labor leaders, who lost control of the ALP to the CPUSA formed a new New York political party called the Liberal Party. That party generally supported Democratic Party candidates affording them a second voting line with the additional objective of pushing the Democratic Party to the left. The Liberal Party declined over time and finally died in 2003.

In response to the influence of the Liberal Party in New York State, conservative activists created the Conservative Party. Its goal was similar to the Liberal Party, namely the election of candidates sympathetic to their ideology. They offered a second line to candidates, both Republican and Democrat as did the Liberal party. The Conservatives reached their apogee of power in 1970 with the election of James Buckley to the US Senate as a third party candidate. Buckley caucused with the Senate Republicans, styled himself as a Conservative-Republican and lost his bid for re-election in 1976. Today, the Conservative Party still exists and has pushed the New York GOP far to the right which has not served it well as New York has changed in the last fifty years from a GOP to Democrat majority state.

With that background, we are now dealing with two new entities, the Working Families Party and a "movement"-not a political party-that calls itself the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Our focus in this post is the DSA which represents a serious threat to America's future. Their leading voice is Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Sanders, an extreme leftist is a wolf in sheep's clothing. At another time, he probably would have been recognized as a Communist or at least a fellow traveler. While Sanders caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, he is not a Democrat. Why the Democrats allowed Sanders to compete in their 2016 presidential primaries is unclear. He certainly did not help Hillary Clinton's general election campaign and he and his supporters had input into the party's platform which undoubtedly cost the party many votes. Since then, Sanders has been on a roll, crisscrossing the country, endorsing and campaigning for various odd ball characters who belong to the DSA. In New York City, three extreme leftists won congressional primary elections. One candidate won a nomination for an open seat wheras the other two defeated Democratic incumbents who, under ordinary circumstances, would have won re-nomination unopposed. Democratic incumbents Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat lost but their opponents received votes of only five to seven percent of the districts constituents who bothered to vote that day. Considering that DSA candidates and nominees think America deserved the Al Qaeda attack of Sep. 11, 2001 with its thousands of deaths and casualties, it seems that it would not be imprudent for Reps. Goldman and Espaillat to run in the general election come November without the Democratic Party voting line but nevertheless with the party's support. Party loyalty is one thing; Recognizing that the DSA is a movement seeking to take over the Democratic Party is something else. Goldman and Espaillat owe it to their constituents and to America to stand for democracy, freedom and the Constitution. The DSA Politburo has not hesitated to enforce discipline on its members elected to public office who supposedly represent their constituents and are not part of a party nomenklatura but nevertheless are obliged to follow the DSA party line. Former Rep. Jamaal Bowman faced DSA discipline as he had the temerity to visit Israel, whose existence is opposed by the DSA. Bowman may have done a great job representing the DSA in Congress, but he failed to faithfully represent his constituents. He lost a primary election and is no longer in public office.

It would be good to remember that the Nazi Party called itself a movement, not a political party. There is little difference between the extreme right and the extreme left. America doesn't need either of these extremes. Goldman and Espaillat and others must stand for America and run in the general election, even on an independent line. The Democratic Party must endorse them and work for them in the general election. No loyalty is owed to the DSA interlopers who seek to revolutionize America, under their domination and "guidance". We don't need a republic of a "new type". Courage is needed by the Democratic Party leaders and voters to protect their party and indeed American democracy. It would serve Goldman, Espaillat and other mainstream Democrats to remember the words and actions of then Rep. Charles L. Weltner (D-GA) who gave up his safe seat in the Congress rather than sign a racist Democratic Party loyalty oath backing Lester Maddox for governor of Georgia in 1966. Weltner memorably said "I love the congress but I will give up my office before I give up my principles". There are more important things than party loyalty. The DSA infiltrators need to be opposed in the November general election regardless of party loyalty. The DSA is not the first group to be a threat to our country and our future nor will they be the last. Democrats must remember that they are the party of Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson, among others. They deserve better than Trotskyite infiltrators. Two hundred and fifty years of America's achievemnts are on the line. More than ever, these self- serving tyrannical movements and their minions must be defeated.

Garry S. Sklar

Milan, Italy

July 29, 2026