The End of the Obama Coalition

Summary

Ezra Klein discusses the transformation of the Democratic Party since the Obama era, highlighting how the party's political strategies and institutional foundations have failed to maintain the coalition that elected Obama. Drawing on Michael Lind's analysis, Klein argues that the party has become structured around urban political networks, foundations, nonprofits, and media, disconnected from the working-class and minority voters it once attracted. The key takeaway is that the Democratic Party needs to break free from its current institutional constraints and reconnect with the voters it has been losing, potentially by listening less to funders and interest groups and more to its eroding base.