'Identity crisis': Can Democrats 'deliver' following their 'historic', once in a generation victory?

A historic Democratic electoral breakthrough has transformed the American political landscape, but the magnitude of the victory may intensify competing claims over the party’s future direction. For former US diplomat and political analyst Laurie Dunden, the central question is whether the Democratic Party can convert electoral momentum into coherent governance. “Can they deliver?” she asks, capturing the fundamental tension between electoral success and political effectiveness. Dunden examines the apparent disintegration of Donald Trump’s 2024 electoral coalition alongside the Democratic Party’s continuing ideological struggle between its progressive and centrist wings ahead of the 2028 presidential election. All the while, Dunden cautions against prematurely describing Trump as a lame duck: “Trump is never going to stop being Trump.” The resulting struggle over congressional spending powers, presidential vetoes, tariffs and investigations promises to test the practical boundaries of American checks and balances. “This dance is going to be very delicate to watch.”