The Soft Slide Toward Socialism
Democrats think they have cracked the code for the 2026 midterms, and honestly, I do not blame them for feeling confident. They have locked onto a message that hits two painful places at once. The cost of living and political corruption. They are tying these issues together and selling it as one big story about how the system is rigged for the powerful and expensive for everyone else.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky) to force a House vote on the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was about to succeed as he delivered a message yesterday that served as a victory lap and a framework for Democrats’ political messaging in the coming months.
“Today is the first real reckoning for the Epstein class,” Khanna said, before calling the effort to obscure Epstein’s crimes “one of the most … disgusting corruption scandals in our country’s history.” He later told us that being “America first,” parroting the messaging that elevated Trump’s political career, meant “holding the Epstein class accountable” and “lowering costs” to make “people’s lives better.”
It was an intentional choice of words that reflects a political lesson Democrats have learned over the past few months: While the most pressing issue on the minds of almost all voters is costs, there is a straightforward way to tie cost concerns to another top issue: corruption.
One group in particular, Defend the Vote, a progressive PAC focused on protecting voting access, is central in urging Democrats to run on both issues.
“This broken system is impacting everyday Americans,” said Brian Lemek, founder of the group. “We want them to be focused on the corruption piece because we know it’s a winning issue when you marry it with high costs.” – Washington Post
And voters are listening.
People feel squeezed. Groceries cost more. Rent costs more. Electricity costs more. Nothing feels steady anymore. When Democrats claim that rising prices are connected to a corrupt system, the message lands. It gives voters a simple explanation for a complicated problem. And it gives them someone to blame.
This move is as old as politics itself. When people hurt, politicians hunt for someone to blame. Both sides have done it. It is simple, emotional, and effective. And right now, Democrats are doing it better.
Democrats blame corruption on everyone but themselves, then claim the only cure is more authority in their own hands. They create the problem, define the villain, and position themselves as the savior. That is the first soft step toward socialism.
If conservatives do not respond to this, we are handing them the election.
Socialism used to be a dirty word. Now? Groups like the Democratic Socialists of America are growing in size and influence. @Rafa_Mangual, @DanielDiMartino, and @thestustustudio examine what the shift could mean for daily life in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/SXKh4cJbqC
— City Journal (@CityJournal) November 13, 2025
Democrats are very good at emotional storytelling.
They excel when they take economic frustration and turn it into a moral narrative. Voters do not need charts or long policy papers. They need something that makes sense in real time. Something they can repeat easily. Something that fits the way life feels right now.
Democrats are saying that everything costs more because the powerful are taking advantage of the system. It is not always accurate. But it works.
The strange part is that conservatives used to own this message. For years we were the ones talking about government waste, insider deals, and politicians who enrich themselves at the expense of the public. We were the ones warning that corruption destroys opportunity. Now Democrats are trying to take over the corruption message while still expanding government in every direction.
It is absurd. But voters do not focus on contradictions when the story feels true.
And conservatives have not been telling a clear story of our own.
Lately, we have scattered our attention across every issue under the sun. Immigration, crime, education, Big Tech, and especially foreign policy. These issues matter deeply. But voters are not hearing any unified conservative message about how we plan to lower the cost of living or expose the corruption that is driving prices higher.
That is a major weakness.
People do not vote for issue lists. They vote for language that connects to what they already feel in their everyday lives.
Right now, Democrats are doing that. Republicans are not.
They are calling this strategy the Cost of Corruption approach. And if you look past the spin, it is actually a strong technique. It is simple and it’s emotional. This makes it easy for voters to repeat. It ties real financial pressure to a sense of injustice. It turns every grocery bill into a political message.
Meanwhile, the GOP keeps assuming voters will remember who created this economic mess. But voters do not operate on memory. They operate on what they feel right now.
And here we have two older white men, a group the left usually claims to despise, yet these two are their own – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and CNN contributor Paul Begala sharing the strategy.
Get Back On Message
So here is what conservatives need to do. Reclaim the ground we let slide away. Trump needs to get back to his America First message. We’ve seen him fly all over the world recently. Americans are feeling left out.
Conservatives need to start speaking plainly about what is driving costs. We do not need to copy the Left’s story. We do not need to repeat their talking points. Instead, we can admit the obvious truth. Corruption exists, and voters feel the results every day. Insider deals, political favoritism, and bloated regulations raise prices for ordinary people and help the well-connected walk away untouched.
So why are we not leading on this issue? Why are we silent when we used to be the ones calling it out?
Let’s be honest.
Maybe it is because we hold the majority and do not want to face the fact that some of the rot has settled on our side too. But if we avoid the truth for the sake of comfort, we hand the entire message to the Democrats. And they will use it to grow government rather than clean it up.
Conservatives can talk about corruption without becoming the Left. We can face it honestly, clean our own house, and protect the people who are being stretched thin by a system that no longer works for them. That is not surrendering to the Democrat message. That is taking back a message we should never have abandoned.
Then we return to the basics. Fewer loopholes. Real oversight. More sunlight. Conservatives do not always like the word oversight, but holding government accountable is not the same as growing it. Accountability is what keeps the system honest.
Remember DOGE. Everyone cheered when Elon Musk set out to clean up government waste. It felt bold and overdue. But even that effort faded once the spotlight moved. Reform only works when someone keeps pushing it forward.
It is on us to demand transparency, push for open budgets, and insist on clean processes. That also means calling out corruption on both sides, not only when it helps us.
If conservatives do not step up and own the anti-corruption message, Democrats will take it and twist it into an excuse to expand government even more. They are already working on it. And voters are already responding to it.
This is a wake-up call.
Voters are not looking for another cultural fight at this moment. They are not looking for a list of grievances. They want someone who understands why everything feels expensive and unfair, and who can explain how to fix it.
Democrats want to fill that role. Conservatives should be fighting to fill it instead.
The Right does not need a new identity. We need clarity. We need a grounded message that speaks to the kitchen table, not just online activism.
If we do that, we can win. If we do not, the Left will beat us with our own message.
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