The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party

Joe Biden has forged a fractious but productive relationship with the left wing of the Democratic Party, according to this canny political investigation. Journalists Walker (The Breach) and Luppen spotlight milestones in the development of present-day Democratic politics, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s rise to progressive stardom; Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 Democratic primary loss to Joe Biden, who then gave Sanders and other lefties significant influence over his platform to promote party unity; the friction between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and AOC and her squad of progressive congresswomen of color; and the cooperation between President Biden and House progressives led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who compromised on left initiatives to help Biden’s landmark American Rescue Act and Inflation Reduction Act get past the concerns of centrist senator Joe Manchin. The authors probe stubborn fissures remaining in the Democratic Party as well, including the infighting between progressive and centrist congressional candidates in New York State in the 2020 midterm elections, which helped the Democrats lose three seats to Republicans. Drawing on dozens of interviews with pols and staffers, Walker and Luppen combine shrewd political analysis with lively, deeply reported scenes of backroom deal brokering and campaign horse race drama. The result is a revealing look at a seminal party transformation that has birthed the most potent left-wing politics in decades. (Jan.)