In this episode of American Angst, Michael Bailey briefly updates us on the apparent breakthrough in the government shutdown. The deal reopens the government and restores furlough pay, but Bailey emphasizes that the underlying fight—especially over Affordable Care Act subsidies—remains unresolved. In his view, the shutdown ended without Democrats gaining meaningful policy concessions, making this more of a pause than a resolution.

The primary focus of the episode, however, is the recent off-year elections. Bailey notes that Democrats performed well in several key statewide and local contests, but he cautions against over-interpreting the results. Rather than signaling a grand defense of democracy, he argues the outcomes likely reflect everyday affordability pressures—housing, groceries, healthcare—more than ideological alignment.

Bailey highlights a divide within the Democratic wins: moderates gaining ground in statewide races and a democratic socialist gaining momentum in a major city. He sees this as a strategic crossroads. While the moral concerns behind social-democratic policy are real, he warns that leaning too far into ideological purity may be risky in a culturally center-right nation. He argues that pragmatic centrism may remain the most broadly viable approach.

Finally, Bailey raises a concern about political character and restraint. In resisting authoritarian tendencies on the right, he stresses that Democrats must avoid mirroring the same “win-at-all-costs” approach. The challenge, he suggests, is to protect democratic norms without becoming what one opposes.

The views expressed on American Angst are solely those of the participants and do not represent any organization.