Every time a socialist candidate wins a Democrat primary, party leaders rush to insist the same thing: this is a big tent, and a big tent is a strength. Fine. But strength requires room for more than just the far left. It requires room for people like Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who votes with his party 95% of the time. So why does the other 5% seem to be costing him everything?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has said some version of this line every time a self-described socialist has knocked off an establishment favorite in a Democrat primary. "Look, we are a big tent party, and being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness," he said. It's the standard reassurance, pretty much trotted out on cue every time.
Here's the problem. Democrats aren't a big tent party.
They're welcoming socialist candidates into their ranks because those candidates bring energy, and the radical views come bundled in for free. A genuine big tent would have room for the radical left, the far left, and the ordinary left, plus the slightly left-of-center, and maybe some true moderates. But they’re not even trying to fit in those who aren’t on the fringe anymore.
Heck, Fetterman sits well within the party's left flank. He votes with his colleagues 95% of the time, breaking on just a few issues like Israel, immigration and the border, and Iran.
That's it.
That tiny sliver of independence has been enough to tank his approval ratings within his own party, with an inevitable primary challenge coming his way in 2028.
Fetterman is now under fresh attack from his own party after the Wall Street Journal published a report accusing him of neglecting basic Senate duties. The report claims he regularly avoids routine legislative work and dodges contact with constituents and colleagues alike.
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His fellow Democrats naturally chose to pile on him.
John Fetterman is a disgrace. Our state deserves better than a lazy trust fund baby who is too lazy to do the job. https://t.co/B2maiWqGAE
— Congressman Brendan Boyle (@RepBrendanBoyle) September 4, 2026
There is a lot I could say about this report of John Fetterman’s pathetic behavior as a Senator. But between the laziness, disrespect, and willingness to carry water for a foreign government, it shows us something we already know: this man has no sense of duty.
— Chris Deluzio (@ChrisForPA) September 4, 2026
He is not up for… https://t.co/mT95qlSRJt
Difficult to describe how odious @JohnFetterman is, how beyond parody he is, and how wrong so many of us got it when we backed him for the Senate in 2022 and then defended him against the right after his stroke. https://t.co/pKkzJJUS5E
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) September 4, 2026
An account claiming to represent former Fetterman staffers promised more is coming, calling the Journal’s report “just the tip of the iceberg” and pledging additional revelations this month.
The coordinated pile-on reads less like concern over constituent services and more like the opening act of a 2028 primary challenge, with the Journal's report already teed up as ammunition.
Democrats have colleagues who've done far worse than skip a few meetings and favor cable hits over paperwork, yet none of them face this kind of pressure campaign. Fetterman's real offense is the 5% of the votes on which he refused to fall in line.
The big tent Democrats keep promising doesn't exist. They'll roll out the welcome mat for socialists eager to drag the party even further left and roll up that same mat for anyone who won't go all the way with them.
