Podcaster Joe Rogan has urged Democrats to be specific about which "Woke 1.0" policies they now consider misguided and to explain how they became associated with them, suggesting that a failure to do so renders their distancing efforts insincere.
Rogan stated that for Democrats to regain credibility, they must honestly admit where their past policies, such as "Defund the Police," went wrong and why they supported them. He argued that without such an admission, the party risks becoming increasingly disingenuous in the eyes of voters.
"If you really thought ‘Defund the Police’ and then you just ascribed it to ‘Woke One was crazy,’ well, how did it get you? Because it didn't get me. How did it get you? How did ‘Defund the Police’ get you?" Rogan rhetorically asked, questioning the depth of the party's self-reflection.
He continued, "If you don’t say that, then you’re full of s---. And if you’re full of s---, you’re going to get more and more full of s--- over time. And that’s how politicians get soured."
Commentators and strategists have echoed Rogan's skepticism, questioning whether the Democratic Party is genuinely pivoting away from far-left cultural issues or employing a temporary strategy. Tim Graham, executive editor of NewsBusters at the Media Research Center, suggested that Democrats are less confident in promoting such policies now than they were in 2020, when "race riots are ‘rebellions’ and violence was an acceptable method to create the social change they wanted."
Democratic consultant Julian Epstein argued that "Woke 1" and "Woke 2" both involve the "commodification of grievance and rage" and the promotion of "lunatic ideas" that do not benefit voters. He contrasted this with Democrats of the 1990s, whom he described as having proclaimed the U.S. as the "best opportunity-machine ever invented."
Mary Marslender, president of Leverage PR, characterized the talk of ditching "Woke 1.0" as a "temporary political strategy" rather than genuine course correction. She pointed to the lack of concrete policy reversals, such as preventing biological males in women's sports, stopping DEI agendas in schools, or advocating for safe communities by withdrawing support for progressive prosecutors. Marslender also noted that Democrats' rhetoric on immigration reform is inconsistent with their opposition to interior enforcement and support for sanctuary cities.
Former Republican National Committee spokesperson Elizabeth Pipko observed that Democratic politicians often adjust their stances based on prevailing popularity within their base. "Depending on what is most popular with their base, that’s what you’ll hear from candidates during the primaries," Pipko said. "And then, during the presidential election, you’ll notice the Democrat nominee pretending they never supported abolishing police, men in women’s sports, or abolishing [ICE]."
Theo Wold, former deputy assistant for domestic policy under Trump, expressed doubt that Rogan's critique fully captured the situation, suggesting that Ocasio-Cortez's comments were not a sign of abandonment but a move to "phase 2 of their project." He stated, "She now casually laughs at the radical ideas she actively promoted just a few years ago. And Joe Rogan, unfortunately, is too gullible to see the truth: this is who Democrats are."