The Democratic crossroads: 'play dead' or find an 'anti-Trump' figure that will energize voters

Two months after Donald Trump's return to the White House, the Democratic Party remains rudderless and adrift, lacking a clear leader or unified strategy to confront the overwhelming Republican agenda. The confusion is so profound that the options range from one extreme to the other: from the "playing dead" approach suggested by former Bill Clinton advisor James Carville, to searching for a strong champion around whom the party can rally for an all-out fight against the conservative administration.

So far, the only strategy that has effectively slowed Trump has been the judicial route, with lawsuits from activists and Democratic state attorneys general, led by New York’s Letitia James. However, the most significant victories have come from rulings by judges appointed by Barack Obama or Joe Biden (or whoever managed his autopen)."

Judges appointed by Obama and Biden, Democrat trench

This is not a mere "lawfare" accusation, as claimed by Republican politicians or Trump himself—though they too support it. Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, openly stated in an interview on PBS News that these 235 judges represent the true Democratic defense against the administration.

"Yes, our democracy is at risk because Donald Trump shows that he wishes to violate the laws in many, many different ways. The good news here is, we did put 235 judges, progressive judges, judges not under the control of Trump, last year on the bench, and they are ruling against Trump time after time after time. And we hope that the appellate courts, when it gets up there, and the Supreme Court will uphold those rulings. They restored the money to NIH. They required that 8,000 employees, federal employees, have to come back. We're in over 100 lawsuits against them, and we are having a good deal of success. It's only at the lower court level right now."

Friendly fire against Schumer

Schumer himself has been caught in the crossfire of Donald Trump's legislative chaos and his own party’s lack of a unified strategy. His decision to help pass the continuing resolution in the Senate, which averted a government shutdown, sparked anger among many of his colleagues, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi. Some congressmembers even called for his resignation.

Schumer refused to resign, repeatedly stating on numerous occasions that he was forced to choose "the lesser of two evils" and did "what he had to do." For the Senate Democratic minority leader, there was nothing worse than allowing a government shutdown at the hands of Trump and Musk.

Letting the Trump administration fall on its own

This position aligns closely with the one proposed by Carville in his controversial February article in The New York Times, "It’s Time for a Daring Political Maneuver, Democrats." In the piece, the former Bill Clinton adviser advocates for doing nothing and allowing the Trump administration to collapse under its own weight, something he believes will inevitably happen because:"

"Roll over and play dead"

The former Bill Clinton adviser emphasized the Democratic Party's current weakness, stating, "Without a clear leader to voice our opposition andwithout control in any branch of government, it's time for Democrats to embark on the boldest political maneuver in our party's history: turn around and play dead."

The goal of this strategy would not be to collaborate with the Trump administration or surrender to allow Republicans to entrench themselves in the White House, but to "allow the Republicans to crumble beneath their own weight and make the American people miss us. Only until the Trump administration has spiraled into the low 40s or high 30s in public approval polling percentages should we make like a pack of hyenas and go for the jugular. Until then, I’m calling for a strategic political retreat."

AOC, Newsom, Harris....

Nonetheless, polls from mainstream left-wing media consistently show strong rejection of such policies among left-wing sympathizers, who are seeking a strong leader capable of standing up to Trump and uniting all Democratic factions behind him or her. These polls reveal that Democratic voterss favor politicians with a more left-wing, aggressive stance to represent them. For example, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even topped the preferences of participants in a CNN poll.

Alongside her, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who is taking steps to position himself as a 2028 candidate with the launch of a podcast, presents a much more moderate profile than what is typically associated with the party. Vice President Kamala Harris also appears in the mix, as does former Transportation Secretary under Biden, Pete Buttigieg.

Cory Booker: Many Democrats have their eyes on the senator with the 25-hour speech 

Joining them in advocating for stronger Democratic leadership is Senator Cory Booker, who delivered a record-breaking speech in the Senate to delay or block votes on several pieces of legislation. Booker spent 25 hours and five minutes on the dais, highlighting the measures implemented by the Trump administration since January 20 and calling for resistance against the GOP.

It’s curious that a resource like the filibuster—though not strictly a filibuster in this case, as Booker didn’t attempt to block a specific rule—has become the most effective and praised maneuver by Democratic legislators since Trump’s rise to power. It’s also paradoxical that a tactic previously branded as "racist" and "anti-democratic" by Democrats—who, notably, were in favor of eliminating it under Obama and Harris—is now the most prominent action from the party that claims to be the "defender of democratic values."