People keep saying, “The goal is to defeat Republicans,” but look at this tweet from 2019. That was the exact same argument then. Biden won, Democrats had two years in power, and four years later Trump and MAGA returned even stronger. The warning was remarkably accurate. This is what the left has been saying for years. Simply defeating Republicans for one election cycle is not enough. Democrats also have to govern boldly enough to materially improve people’s lives. If Democrats continue failing to substantially raise wages, lower healthcare and housing costs, strengthen labor, tax extreme wealth, and give working people real economic stability, frustration with the political system will continue growing. And the right will continue exploiting that frustration. We cannot keep repeating the same cycle: Republicans become increasingly extreme, voters elect moderate Democrats out of fear, Democrats fail to deliver enough structural change, voters become frustrated or disengaged, and an even more extreme Republican movement comes back. Defeating MAGA matters, but preventing the next MAGA requires giving people something better to believe in and something tangible that improves their lives.