HAMBURGER OR STEAK

From Hamburgers to Steak: What It Will Take for Democrats to Win in 2028

Suppose the Democratic Party hopes to regain government control in 2029 and put forth the bold vision of Project 2029, a future grounded in justice, equity, and economic democracy. In that case, it must stop nibbling around the edges of progress and finally serve the main course: a socialist agenda that excites, inspires, and mobilizes.

For decades, Democrats have played a cautious game offering modest proposals, trimmed-down reforms, and half-hearted resistance to Republican extremism. They've promised a slightly better version of the status quo: a more affordable healthcare plan, a tax tweak, a plea for unity everywhere. But in an age of profound inequality, rising authoritarianism, and environmental catastrophe, the status quo is no longer an option. You don’t beat a wildfire with a garden hose.

The lesson was made clear in a recent local race in New York City, where a socialist-backed candidate defeated the mainstream Democratic pick in the primary. The race was small, but the signal was strong: there is a growing hunger on the left for real, structural change, not cosmetic reforms. And when candidates embrace that message unapologetically. They can win.

The Democratic Party must recognize that its most passionate, energetic base is not in the middle of the road. It is in the core socialist contingent, young voters, working people, climate activists, progressives of every stripe, who believe that healthcare is a right, not a privilege; that housing should be for people, not profit; that billionaires should not exist in a nation where children go hungry.

This group may be small now, but it has one thing moderates don’t: a vision. And vision spreads.

Bernie Sanders proved this when he electrified millions, not by moderating his views, but by embracing them fully and fearlessly. Crowds didn’t come because he was safe. They came because he was bold. They came because he offered steak, not a better hamburger.

The Democrats must now decide: Do they continue to triangulate, compromise, and sell incremental change to a nation on fire? Or do they finally embrace the ideals that can rescue democracy and rebuild America from the ground up?

Winning in 2028 will require more than beating the Republicans at their own game. It will require changing the game entirely.

That means:

• Embracing democratic socialism as a legitimate and necessary force for justice.
• Promoting candidates who speak, passionately, and radically about what working people deserve.
• Building coalitions from the ground up, not just with donors and lobbyists, but with teachers, nurses, organizers, and the disillusioned.
• Rejecting the notion that boldness is political suicide. On the contrary, it may be the only lifeline left.

The American people aren’t hungry for better slogans. They’re hungry for a moral movement. A reason to believe again. A reason to fight.

The Democrats have a choice: serve the steak, or be left behind in the drive-thru line.

WilliamJames Spriggs