Former President Barack Obama has urged Democrats to take a broader, more inclusive approach to the future of their party — one that welcomes socialists and progressives as legitimate voices within the Democratic coalition.
Speaking Thursday on the Pod Save America podcast, the former president argued that Democrats risk alienating younger and more diverse voters if they continue to draw hard ideological lines. He pointed to the recent election of Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s new mayor and a self-identified Democratic Socialist, as an example of the changing political landscape.
“Tuesday was nice, but we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Obama said, referring to the week’s mixed election results across several states. “And your task is going to be not to impose litmus tests. We had Abigail Spanberger win, and we had Zohran Mamdani win — and they are all part of a vision for the future. Our job is to say that we want everybody engaged.”
Obama’s comments came during a wide-ranging conversation with the hosts — all of whom are former members of his White House communications team — about the direction of the Democratic Party, its struggles to connect with working-class voters, and the growing influence of progressive movements within the party.
