In a rare admission, *The New York Times* has acknowledged that the “woke” ideology that swept the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020 has significantly lost momentum, particularly in this election cycle. According to a weekend analysis by national reporter Jeremy Peters, Democrats are now backing away from the radical positions that dominated their platform just a few years ago. The shift reflects a broader realization that far-left identity politics and polarizing policies have proven deeply unpopular among many Americans.
Peters’ piece, fittingly titled *“In Shift from 2020, Identity Politics Loses Its Grip on the Country,”* sheds light on Vice President Kamala Harris’s sharp pivot away from the progressive causes she once embraced. Today, the Democratic nominee for president is taking a more traditional, almost conservative tone on key issues. Harris has boasted about protecting her home with a Glock, emphasized her patriotism, and even campaigned alongside Republicans such as Liz Cheney. This stark contrast from her past positions illustrates just how much the left’s narrative has changed.
During her campaign, Harris is also highlighting her time as a prosecutor, reminding voters about her record of putting drug dealers behind bars—an appeal to law and order that was unimaginable during the peak “defund the police” rhetoric in 2020. Similarly, on gender issues, Harris has adopted a noticeable shift. In 2019, she proudly introduced herself using “she/her” pronouns on national television, yet now she avoids the question when asked about taxpayer-funded sex-change operations for detained migrants and prisoners. It seems that even within her own party, pushing divisive, radical ideas has lost its allure.
The *Times* article also reveals that major corporations are rethinking their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, as backlash from conservatives and middle-ground Americans has grown louder. Companies and institutions that once raced to embrace DEI initiatives have started to quietly dial them back. According to Peters, top universities no longer require applicants to sign “diversity statements,” reflecting a retreat from symbolic but contentious diversity pledges. Even divisive language like “Latinx”—a term overwhelmingly rejected by the Latino community—has fallen out of favor, as polling shows less than 5% of Latinos identify with it.
The shift isn’t just in messaging; it’s also evident in policy and election results. Progressive darlings like Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush, once celebrated for their radical agendas, have struggled to maintain voter support. Both lost their primaries to more centrist Democrats, reflecting a broader trend of backlash against the far-left candidates who previously dominated the conversation.
Peters goes on to cite academics and political strategists who argue that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party overestimated public support for extreme identity-focused solutions to social issues. *The Times* piece even recalls how in 2020, progressive candidates competed to “out-woke” each other, debating issues like defunding the police, open borders, and eliminating private health insurance. Today, these ideas are no longer seen as assets but rather liabilities that have alienated many Americans.
Ultimately, this retreat from “woke” politics raises a question that the left may find difficult to answer: Will the progressive wing of the Democratic Party abandon its more radical agenda, or will it continue to pursue divisive ideas that mainstream America has clearly rejected?
As Democrats make this shift, it’s a telling sign of how far they’ve strayed from the realities facing most Americans. For many, the past years of progressive overreach have served as a lesson that pandering to extremes leads to disenchantment. With a rising number of Americans favoring traditional values, law enforcement, and patriotism, it’s clear that the nation’s political tides have indeed turned. The question now is whether the Democrats will pivot further or continue alienating a large swath of the electorate as the country moves back toward the center.
