Centrist Emanuel Traverses Party’s Move to the Left

BY JOHN MCCORMICK

DES MOINES, Iowa—Rahm Emanuel has plenty of government experience to tout as he appears increasingly serious about running for president: former Democratic congressman, White House chief of staff, mayor of Chicago and diplomat.

But his centrist message clashes with an insurgent progressive base mesmerized by figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) and Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist favored in New York City’s November mayoral election.

So it was instructive to see Emanuel surrounded over the weekend by the Democratic base in Iowa where he headlined an annual party fish-fry fundraiser in the state’s largest county. While he wasn’t technically campaigning, it was the first time the famously combative Emanuel had made a high-profile retail political appearance on his own behalf for the better part of a decade.

It felt at times a bit like watching a professional athlete return to the arena after an extended absence. The game has changed significantly since the 65-year-old was last a candidate in 2018, with the explosion of social media and viral videos in politics.

Emanuel made frequent mentions of political and policy wins he helped former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama achieve, as well as his own in Chicago. But gone were his recent criticisms of his party’s brand as “toxic” and “weak and woke.”

His visit followed those by other potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidates in the past 16 months, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.

Some other potential candidates include former Vice President Kamala Harris, who told The Wall Street Journal she still sees herself as a party leader, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has adapted a combative online presence to take on President Trump. Carving out a distinct lane will be vital in what is expected to be a large field.

There were reminders that Emanuel isn’t a fresh face. Sean Bagniewski, a state representative who hosted the fundraiser in his front yard, told the audience that he once saw Emanuel and Clinton pass through the Des Moines airport together when he was in the fifth grade.

The seriousness of Emanuel’s ambitions was obvious throughout his two-day visit. He deployed a small advance team to make preparations ahead of his stops and a professional video camera operator filmed him. He attended a high-school football game, visited a business incubator in a low-income neighborhood and met with teachers, families and union workers.

Emanuel seemed on a mission to shake hands with all of the roughly 400 fish-fry attendees. When one woman asked whether he is running for president, he replied: “I’m thinking about it.”

On stage, there was selfdeprecating humor, a brief impersonation of Clinton and a pledge to work on his empathy. Still, the take-no-prisoners style that earned Emanuel the nickname “Rahm-bo” was never far away: “Washington needs a 2-by-4, and someone who knows how to swing it.”

He criticized the U.S. for not doing more to help children and parents, praised Australia’s planned ban of social media for those under 16 and reflected on time spent practicing ballet in high school.

“I had an after-school,” he said. “I learned discipline. We have to give this to our kids.”

After a mother cried as she spoke about caring for an adult daughter with Down syndrome, Emanuel came close to responding with Clinton’s famous “I feel your pain” line. Instead, Emanuel offered, “I feel your anguish.”