How Ezra Klein's power play is guiding Democrats

3 hours ago7 min read2 comments

Ezra Klein has executed one of the most fascinating power plays in modern political journalism, transforming himself from New York Times columnist to Democratic Party powerbroker with the strategic precision of a seasoned campaign manager. This isn't just about writing influential opinion pieces; it's about direct, private orchestration.Klein's columns, particularly his early September manifesto urging Democratic senators to shut down the government to confront Trump's expansion of executive power, didn't just comment on strategy—they became strategy. Senate Democratic officials confirm his words, 'Should Senate Democrats partner with Senate Republicans to fund this government? I don't see how they can,' spread like a battle plan through Capitol Hill offices, directly influencing the unprecedented 43-day shutdown.This is political warfare, and Klein is operating the communications desk. His role extends far beyond the op-ed page.This year, he has held private consultations with a veritable who's-who of the Democratic 2028 presidential field: former Vice President Harris, Maryland's charismatic Gov. Wes Moore, and California's Gavin Newsom.When Newsom signed a major California deregulation law aimed at accelerating housing construction, he took to X, explicitly crediting Klein's 'abundance agenda'—a term lifted directly from Klein's bestselling book. This isn't mere endorsement; it's policy adoption, a testament to Klein's successful framing of the party's post-Trump narrative.The intrigue deepens with his private briefing at the Senate Democrats' summer retreat, a move that ignited internal alarms at the Times. A former Times editor captured the sheer audacity of the shift, stating, 'I am stunned by the idea that it's OK for a columnist to act as a political advocate on behalf of one of the parties.It violated all the rules for columnists in the past. Speaking to the Democratic senators can be considered an in-kind donation, and that's not journalism.' Yet, this internal criticism is balanced by the cold, hard calculus of influence and audience. Klein commands one of the Times' largest digital audiences, making him invaluable to leadership, including deputy managing editor Sam Dolnick of the owning Sulzberger family, who has been actively promoting Klein internally.Even his physical transformation—the new workout regimen and beard—seems a calculated part of this rebrand, a move he acknowledged has 'changed my public image more than I would have thought. ' However, not all Democrats are rallying behind this new thought leader.Advisors to potential presidential candidates voice a starkly different concern, worrying that Klein's influence with coastal elites only exacerbates the party's struggle to reconnect with its working-class base. The sentiment was brutally summarized by one Democratic aide: 'You're telling me this man who sits in a f**king West Elm-decorated office is going to be the thought leader for Democrats?' This tension defines the modern Democratic Party—a battle between intellectual framing from media power centers and the gritty, retail politics of the heartland. Klein's ascent represents a fundamental blurring of lines between journalism, activism, and political strategy, a real-time experiment in whether a columnist's pen can be as powerful as a lobbyist's checkbook.

#Ezra Klein

#New York Times

#Democratic Party

#political influence

#media ethics

#featured

Stay Informed. Act Smarter.

Get weekly highlights, major headlines, and expert insights — then put your knowledge to work in our live prediction markets.

Comments

Loading comments...