Criticizing one’s own political party is tricky business. Because so many see politics as a zero sum game, they avoid admitting mistakes for fear of giving the opposition the upper hand. Thus, the apostates are cast out. Paul Ryan becomes a RINO. Ruy Teixeira becomes… I don’t know. Democrats don’t have a catchy name for their sinners. When they come up with one, though, many will pin it on Teixeira.

They shouldn’t. Teixeira is interested is expanding Democrats’ appeal, something that ought to be top of mind for party leadership, too. Despite multiple unappealing and unqualified candidates, Republicans still won the House popular vote by three points in the last midterm. Democrats won it by three in 2020. If this slip concerns Democratic higher ups, they aren’t showing it. In his first press conference after the midterms, Joe Biden said he planned on changing “nothing” going forward. While there’s no denying the president had a better election than anticipated, this borders on political malpractice. Going into November, Democrats polled below Republicans on a host of issues important to Americans such as crime, the economy, and the border. They were also tied with Republicans on which party voters considered more extreme. As the MAGA movement seems likely to fade (at least in swing districts), Teixeira says it’s up to Democrats to recalibrate as well. This should be easy. Only the perception of politics as a zero sum game makes it hard. If the party starts speaking to the voters rather than its base or the opposition, it can take the middle ground and become the majority party it claims it’s destined to be. If it refuses to change, though, it can’t say it wasn’t warned. And by a friend, no less.