The Squad is following in the tracks of other stalled American political movements
The Squad came on the scene with the 2018 Democratic primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) over a powerful incumbent. AOC was joined by Representatives Ayanna Pressley (MA), Ilhan Omar (MN), and Rashida Tlaib (MI), and labeled themselves the “Squad” — a new movement of young progressives ready to take on the world, armed with eye-popping social media followings. In 2021, Cori Bush (MO) and Jamaal Bowman (NY) came on board. Other members joined subsequently in 2023, and many others have affiliated with the movement.
There is no mistaking the Squad’s influence. They have pushed the Democratic Party hard to the left. They have inspired many young Democrats to join their cause. They have changed the nature of politic messaging for an entire generation. But they have the same Achilles heel that has stopped so many other movements in their tracks —a growing constituency.
Political movements in America are different entities from political parties. America’s two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, each have voting constituencies, household names, and organizations that shepherd their candidates to elected office. A political movement, on the other hand, is a civic reaction to a particular idea that ebbs and flows depending on the strength of the opposition and the ability to form a constituency around that idea.
The Squad was (past tense) a direct reaction to the election of Donald Trump and a Covid regime that only benefited their social media reach. But without the factors that energized their supporters, they are fading from the forefront of American politics. Now the Squad is following in the tracks of other stalled American political movements.
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