Quote · The Bulwark Podcast
David French: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Should've Been 9-0
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A Bigger Tent, Not an Open Field: Where Democrats Should Draw the Line
At 58:58 · chapter starts 56:30
French lands the most quotable line of the episode's political segment: 'You do not need red shirts to beat brown shirts. You do not need brown shirts to beat red shirts.' [1] — David French "Democrats need a broader ideological tent — the Republicans had one in 2024, welcoming pro- and anti-vaxxers, pro- and anti-Ukraine support…" 56:20 His framework is clear: Democrats absolutely need a broader ideological coalition — the GOP had one in 2024, welcoming pro-vaccine and anti-vaccine, pro-Ukraine and anti-Ukraine, pro-choice and pro-life voters under the red hat. Democrats need the same openness. But there have to be lines. An open field is not a political party. Genuine anti-Semites, people who think Vladimir Putin has good points, anyone who identifies with brownshirt fascism — they cannot be inside the tent regardless of their economic views. The Scott Wiener example cuts deep: a California state senator who moved toward the left on Israel and showed up to defend trans constituents was still run out of an event because he wasn't fully radicalized. And some DSA candidates, French says, hate the Democratic establishment more than they hate MAGA — some of them were happy to see Trump win to punish Biden. The obligation is to walk with an open hand toward young people who've grown up with democracy's failures and have no firsthand experience of the alternatives, while simultaneously drawing firm lines against extremism.
David French argued Democrats need a broader ideological tent but must maintain lines against bigotry, fascism, and communism — 'you do not need brown shirts to beat red shirts.'
Pete Hegseth forced out General C.D. Donahue — by many accounts the most universally respected warfighter in the Army. If Donahue wasn't good enough to survive, there is no argument that excellence can ever trump politics in the Pentagon. David French sees this as the moment the public alarm went from gradual to sudden.
