For years, Democratic Party leaders convinced themselves they had struck a clever bargain with the Democratic Socialists of America.

The DSA would provide the energy. The activists. The volunteers. The small-dollar donations. The army of young true believers willing to knock doors, flood social media, and spend weekends campaigning.

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In return, Democrats would provide the ballot line.

The arrangement worked because each side believed it was using the other.

Democrats thought they were harnessing the DSA's enthusiasm while keeping the socialists safely on the back bench.

The DSA thought it was infiltrating one of America's two major political parties.

This week, following Zohran Mamdani's stunning victory in New York and a string of successful socialist-backed campaigns, it is becoming increasingly clear which side understood the arrangement better.

The Democratic Socialists are no longer content to serve as the Democratic Party's foot soldiers.

They intend to command the army.

What makes this development particularly alarming is that many Americans still do not understand what the DSA actually believes. The media often portrays the organization as little more than an energetic progressive movement advocating for free college, universal healthcare, and higher taxes on the wealthy.

The organization's newly adopted national platform tells a very different story.

As Stu Smith reported in City Journal's analysis of the DSA's new platform, the organization has embraced a sweeping........

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