Quit Blaming Hogg. Blame the DNC.
Let me be blunt: the Democratic National Committee’s decision to sideline both David Hogg and Malcolm Kenyatta is not only short-sighted — it’s actively harmful to the future of the party and the survival of democracy itself.
It doesn’t take a political strategist to understand that voters, especially younger ones, are desperate for fresh energy, bold voices, and a real willingness to fight. Not just against the GOP’s extremism, but against the complacency and inertia that has taken hold in the Democratic Party's own ranks.
David Hogg is not perfect. No organizer or movement-builder is. But you don’t have to agree with every one of his stances to recognize that his willingness to primary calcified incumbents who’ve long outlived their usefulness is not only brave — it’s necessary. The refusal to challenge establishment Democrats, many of whom cling to power like it’s a birthright, is one of the key reasons the party continues to hemorrhage credibility with younger, more progressive voters.
Meanwhile, we’re expected to rally behind center-to-center-right Democrats who are about as effective as a wet sock in a thunderstorm — people who use bipartisanship as a shield for inaction and who treat grassroots organizers like nuisances rather than the engine of any political future.
The DNC’s continued protection of the status quo, even at the expense of its own long-term survival, should be ringing alarm bells for anyone who actually gives a damn about winning. It’s not enough to have token young faces on the flyers or in the diversity photo ops. If you’re not empowering them to lead — and yes, challenge existing power structures — then it’s performative at best and sabotage at worst.
What’s particularly disheartening is watching Malcolm Kenyatta — someone who’s shown up for real issues and who should be aligned with Hogg in this fight — directing his frustration at David instead of at the DNC machine that’s screwing both of them over.
This is a classic divide-and-conquer tactic: pit emerging leaders against each other, redirect anger sideways, and keep the gears of the machine running smoothly — all while the base gets angrier, more cynical, and more disengaged.
The real fight isn’t between Hogg and Kenyatta. It’s between the people trying to build a future and the institutional power brokers trying to prevent one.
David Hogg is doing what more young Democrats should be doing — challenging power, asking uncomfortable questions, and refusing to wait politely in line behind people who’ve held the mic for decades and delivered next to nothing. That should be met with solidarity, not scorn.
If the Democratic Party fears primary challenges more than it fears creeping fascism, it deserves every loss coming its way.
The question now is: will we back down and let the DNC throw the next generation under the bus? Or will we stand up and remind them who actually builds movements — and who gets left behind when they don’t listen