Third Way Launches $15M Campaign Against DSA Ahead of 2028
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Summary
The Young Turks segment discusses Third Way's announcement of a $15 million campaign through 2028 to combat the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) following progressive primary wins, including Abdul El-Sayed's U.S. Senate nomination in Michigan and Chris Rabb's congressional primary victory in Pennsylvania. Hosts Cenk Uygur and David Sirota, joined by references to The Lever reporting, criticize the effort as corporate Democrats scheming against the left by hiring a "Director of Anti-Extremism" to build DSA databases, recruit spokespeople, and counter "extreme" ideas like Medicare for All and housing guarantees.
The broadcast references a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Third Way's Jonathan Cowan warning against associating with Hasan Piker, Third Way's public statement labeling far-left forces as radical and illiberal, and quotes from Cowan and Matt Bennett on swing-state risks and prioritizing anti-MAGA efforts. It includes a sponsor ad for Noble Mobile and frames the dispute as a power struggle threatening 2028 primaries, with centrists accused of sabotaging nominees.
Editorial Assessment
The segment accurately reports Third Way's planned spending, job posting, and quoted statements, which align with NYT coverage and the organization's own site. However, it omits counter-evidence that many DSA-associated candidates have underperformed in general elections outside deep-blue areas, and Third Way's concerns about specific issues (Gaza, crime, economic messaging) are reduced to corporate greed without substantive engagement. Viewers miss that intra-party ideological fights are common—Third Way positions itself as defending electability after 2024 losses—while TYT's hyperbolic language ("caught scheming," "betray their own," "join Trump crusade") skews perception toward conspiracy over policy disagreement. The hosts' claim that progressives uniformly support other Democrats post-primary contrasts with historical left criticism of moderates. Overall, it functions more as advocacy than balanced analysis, reinforcing TYT's progressive audience worldview.
Key Moments
Third Way is spending $15 million not against Republicans but to discredit DSA and progressives like El-Sayed to help corporate interests and Republicans win.
Verified $15M figure and focus on DSA from NYT interview with Cowan; Third Way states goal is protecting center-left brand and electability, not explicit GOP help.
Third Way is hiring a socialist hunter for $140-150k with full benefits to assemble DSA database of extreme ideas, recruit diverse spokespeople, and fight DSA from center-left.
Exact match to Third Way's job posting on its careers page, including salary, DSA-specific database, spokespeople, and quoted language on "far-left extreme forces" as radical and illiberal.
Policies like Medicare for All, guaranteed housing, clean air/water, living wage, and UBI are super popular (65-80% approval).
Polls show high support for broad concepts but drop significantly for specifics (e.g., funding mechanisms, government-run versions); TYT lists without sources or counter-polling.
Cowan and Third Way admitted progressives are winning in swing states and they are preparing for "the next war," revealing intent to sabotage Democrats.
Accurate quotes from NYT; Cowan called wins "deeply troubling" for swing states but emphasized opposing DSA ideas to improve Democratic performance, not explicit sabotage of general-election nominees.
Corporate Democrats like Third Way are making common cause with Trump against the left amid authoritarian threats, abandoning "vote blue no matter who."
Opinion/analysis by Sirota; no evidence of coordination with Trump. Third Way frames effort as defending against illiberal left to counter MAGA messaging; contrasts with their post-2024 calls for moderation.
Notable Concerns
- Heavy reliance on loaded language framing centrists as fraudulent allies of Republicans without evidence of direct coordination
- Selective presentation of progressive policies as overwhelmingly popular while ignoring polling nuances or implementation critiques
- Equating Democratic opposition research on DSA to Trump-era targeting of the left or McCarthyism
Sources Consulted
- Moderate Democrats Prepare for ‘War’ Against an Ascendant Left
- Director, Anti-Extremism - Third Way Careers
- Democrats Are Too Cozy With Hasan Piker
- Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan Senate primary
- Centrist Democrats launch $15 million campaign to curtail DSA’s national influence
- Corporate-Funded Third Way Plans to Spend $15 Million Waging 'War' on Progressives
- Democrat Chris Rabb defeats party machine in PA primary
- Third Way About Page and Mission