A former Democratic operative on what the party needs to keep from MAGA

In "Nothing Left," Evan Barker reveals the inner workings of the Democratic Party's fundraising efforts. Barker, once a top fundraiser for the Democratic Party's left, switched her allegiance to vote for Donald Trump in 2024. Barker shared her insights on TikTok, in The Free Press, and in her book. She wished the book had been released sooner, as there was a window of opportunity to debate how the Democrats could improve.

Barker emphasized that the Democrats should incorporate elements from the MAGA and Bernie Sanders movements. She argued that the party should take the best aspects of both and combine them. She provided an example of how identity politics was weaponized by the left, using the 2018 Brent Welder campaign as a case study. When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) was initially amenable to campaign for Welder, she faced backlash from the progressive community, who accused her of supporting a white male candidate against a woman of color.

Barker noted that this incident foreshadowed the growing divisiveness within the progressive movement.

The author discussed the shortcomings of centrists within the Democratic Party, which are socially liberal but economically conservative. This combination, Barker argues, does not resonate with working-class voters. The centrists tend to blame the progressives for the party's shortcomings but fail to acknowledge their own failures in delivering economic transformation.

When asked about past actions Trump took that Barker would like to see continued by the next president, she mentioned his anti-DEI stance, closing the border, and the philosophy behind tariffs. However, Barker criticized the execution of these policies by the Trump administration. She also shared her thoughts on AOC as the standard bearer of the Bernie movement, stating that she does not believe AOC is well-equipped to win the blue wall due to her focus on identity politics rather than broad appeal.