The ‘Democrats in Disarray’ Narrative Is Mostly Fiction

Presidential hopefuls’ policy proposals may differ, but their goals are the same

A field of 20 Democratic presidential candidates was split into two groups of 10 for the first debate of the 2020 election. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Here’s a secret about the state of the Democratic Party: It’s actually going through a period of relative unity.

That fact can be easy to miss, what with all high-profile sniping among both presidential candidates and elected officials. Ahead of tonight’s debate, the pundits are all looking to see whether Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren will try to out-progressive each other, and whether Amy Klobuchar can define herself as a centrist alternative. But the truth is, on matters large and small, most Democrats have rallied around a series of relatively progressive policy goals that lay out a vision for a better America. Despite establishment and right-wing media’s eagerness to exploit narratives of a party disarray, Democratic candidates actually sound quite similar when asked to lay out their long-term goals. Namely, they are focused on leveling the playing field across society through the combination of an improved social safety net, and regulatory actions aimed at combating inequality.

Take disability rights. In June, the Disability Rights Center–New Hampshire posed a series of questions around major disability issues to the presidential candidates. With the…