The Politics Of Performance

Photo via Resilience

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For too long, Democrats have kept showing up to a game they don’t know how to win. With its absence of a unifying voice and a clear identity, the Democratic Party has failed to resonate with an increasingly divided electorate.

According to a CNN poll conducted by SSRS, the Democratic Party has reached an all-time low in favorability. Many members within the party have voiced their frustration with Democratic leaders in Congress for their “very passive” attitudes in an effort to appeal to centrists. This shift has contributed to the growing concern that Democrats are rolling over with their abundance of concessions to the right wing—incapable of effectively mobilizing the party to a clear political agenda after the 2024 election. While President Donald J. Trump aggressively rolls out executive orders from tariffs to abolishing DEI initiatives, Democrats have struggled to respond with comparable intensity. At the same time, without majority control in either the House or the Senate, Democrats’ hands are tied.

Tim Walz, former vice-presidential nominee and current governor of Minnesota, has not held back in his critique of the Democratic Party. According to him, Democrats played it “too safe” in last year’s election—failing to take risks, engage with undecided voters, and ultimately produce a message that resonated with the people. Democrats can no longer afford to play it safe, and the cost of this indecision is becoming increasingly clear—in an attempt to appeal to everyone, Democrats are appealing to no one.

And yet, while the party appears paralyzed, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is not. Speaking for 25 hours and five minutes, Booker broke the record for the longest speech on the Senate floor in a demonstration of opposition to the direction democracy is heading under the current administration. Surpassing Strom Thurmond’s filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the irony of Booker now holding this record is lost on no one. Public resistance to the current administration has also often come from nontraditional figures—newer and younger politicians or those very left-wing on policy. Given that Booker has been an established figure in the Senate since 2013 and expresses fairly standard center-left policy views on most issues, his willingness to take a public stand is especially significant.

Booker spoke for hours against the Trump administration’s “reckless” actions that include threats to the Department of Education, Social Security benefits, and Medicaid funding. He criticized the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for creating turmoil in the country’s Social Security services by slashing jobs and functions within the federal agency, despite the President’s promise not to touch Social Security. Booker emphasized that about 40% of older Americans rely on income from Social Security, stressing that these funds represent the hard-earned savings of working Americans—not the wealth of the current billionaires in office. 

Republicans in Congress are also calling for billion-dollar cuts to Medicaid, which covers millions of Americans and disproportionately serves women and children. Booker highlighted the importance of protecting access to health services for everyday Americans, condemning the administration’s decision to reduce these programs in order to finance tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. In addition, Booker argued that the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education would pose a significant threat to both America’s education system and our functioning democracy. It would jeopardize the opportunity for children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to receive a quality education while also undermining the fundamental principle of separation of powers. 

At the heart of Cory Booker’s speech, however, is a genuine concern for the well-being of the American people. Throughout his speech, he read letters from constituents who begged him to protect their access to Social Security and Medicaid. By doing so, he brought the voices of ordinary Americans to the Senate floor—ones who have been calling on Democratic leaders to fight harder to save programs that benefit the middle class. “The Democratic Party is at its weakest when it’s concerned about the party,” Booker said during an appearance on ABC. “It’s at its strongest when it’s concerned about the people. When it’s bigger and broader than any narrow political analysis. This is a time for Americans to step up.” For Booker, true political strength does not lie in ideological rigidity, but rather in a commitment to the public good. He reminds us that political discourse must rise above partisanship and speak to universal principles of democratic governance and ethical leadership.

Critics like Fox News host Sean Hannity slammed Booker’s speech as “performative”, arguing that it lacked real policy impact since it wasn’t a filibuster. But, in truth—did Donald Trump win the presidency because of his policy impact, or because he knew how to dominate the narrative? Wasn’t Booker just mastering the medium that gave Trump the presidency in the first place? His speech was merely a political spectacle, it was a brilliant one. When it sparks conversation, a spectacle can be a powerful political tool. 

Some types of theatre use interruption as a technique in their stories to remind viewers that they’re watching a play—like breaking the fourth wall to address the audience directly. This shift often encourages the audience to reflect on the more prominent themes the play is raising. Booker adopted this technique by making his speech a political statement and a call for collective, democratic responsibility. Before yielding the floor, Booker paid homage to civil rights pioneer John Lewis, stating, “This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong. Let’s get in good trouble.” Much like a well-timed interruption in theatre, it is uncertain whether this moment will mark a pivotal turning point in resistance or fade as a brief disruption. But, hopefully, Booker’s courage can spark action and inspire others —especially Democratic leaders—to get into some ‘good trouble’. 

Courage begets courage, and in these times, we need more of it.

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This article was edited by Connor Downey.