{"id":2628427,"date":"2026-07-11T06:50:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T10:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-amount-of-corruption-fraud-or-crime-drives-urban-voters-from-democrats\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T06:56:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T10:56:32","slug":"no-amount-of-corruption-fraud-or-crime-drives-urban-voters-from-democrats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/no-amount-of-corruption-fraud-or-crime-drives-urban-voters-from-democrats\/","title":{"rendered":"No amount of corruption, fraud, or crime drives urban voters from Democrats"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fno-amount-of-corruption-fraud-or-crime-drives-urban-voters-from-democrats%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2628427&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Los Angeles Mayor karen Bass faced meaningful challenges during her tenure, including overseeing the Pacific Palisades fire that destroyed over 6,500 homes and neglecting warnings about dangerous winds while she was abroad. Her administration also struggled with Los Angeles\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-teachers-union-wants-to-open-high-school-parking-lots-to-homeless-people\/\" title=\"CA Teachers Union wants to allow homeless people to use high school parking lots.\">severe homelessness crisis<\/a>, with little effective progress despite a $300 million program, as manny homeless individuals returned to the streets. Bass maintained her bid for re-election despite these issues.<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously occurring,other major cities like New York and Minneapolis also grappled with corruption charges against their leaders,yet voters remained loyal to their progressive candidates,viewing these issues as systemic rather than personal failures. Progressive voters tend to ignore or rationalize failures, driven by a deep-seated identity connected to government ideals like equality and justice, making them resistant to acknowledging policy shortcomings.<\/p>\n<p>Experts like thom Hartmann argue that many problems in these cities stem from structural issues such as restrictive zoning and lack of federal funding, and voters prefer Democratic parties because Republicans often cut necessary services rather than offer credible solutions. Psychologist Scott Gibbs suggests that this unwavering loyalty is rooted in the protection of core identity and ideological beliefs, leading to defensiveness and polarization when failures are exposed.<\/p>\n<p>In Los Angeles, public figures express skepticism about current leadership and reflect on the systemic issues facing urban centers, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gavin-newsom-announces-plan-to-subvert-trumps-tariffs\/\" title=\"Gavin Newsom Announces Plan to Subvert Trump&#039;s Tariffs\">including high living costs<\/a> and economic frustrations, which diminish faith in the political process. these cities exemplify a broader pattern of urban voters tolerating underperformance from left-leaning governments, often viewing challenges as rooted in systemic and structural issues rather than individual failings.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Los Angeles Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/karen-bass\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"2491\">Karen Bass<\/a> was in office through one of the worst urban disasters in recent years as the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4626697\/judge-declares-mistrial-palisades-fire-arson-case-jury-deadlocks\/\">Pacific Palisades fire<\/a> destroyed more than 6,500 homes, according to city tallies. Despite <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy-and-environment\/4618238\/spencer-pratt-bass-blame-fire\/\">ample warnings<\/a> from the National Weather Service that potentially cataclysmic winds were bound for the city in the heart of its fire season, Bass headed to Ghana for a diplomatic event and was in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/africa\/\">Africa<\/a> as the city burned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, on her watch, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/los-angeles\/\">Los Angeles<\/a> fell deeper into the nation\u2019s most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/los-angeles-mayor-eric-garcetti-signs-11b-fiscal-year-budget\/\" title=\"Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signs B fiscal year budget\">severe homeless crisis<\/a>. When the former Democratic congressional representative took power in City Hall circa 2022, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported more than 67,000 homeless people in the city. After four years under Bass and her $300 million \u201cInside Safe\u201d program, a recent <em>Los Angeles Times<\/em> report found a reduction of fewer than 2,400 people, with more than 44% returning to the streets. An overwhelmed and understaffed LAPD continues to fight off the theft and violence generated by that surging homeless population.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-special-section\/4633441\/socialist-primary-wins-complicate-jeffries-path-speakers-gavel\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Socialist primary wins could complicate Jeffries\u2019 path to the speaker\u2019s gavel<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/magazine-special-section\/4631209\/quarterly-briefing-dsa-winning-streak-biggest-test-swing-states\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DSA\u2019s winning streak faces its biggest test in swing states<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/videos\/4631000\/inside-scoop-jd-vance-america-250\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Inside Scoop: Vance\u2019s newfound faith, American birthday blues, Conscience on the Cap<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless, Bass easily found her way onto this autumn\u2019s mayoral ballot and remains on course for reelection later this year. Los Angeles serves as a microcosm of a larger phenomenon \u2014 one example from a single American city of a pattern repeating itself in deep-blue regions across the country: Left-leaning urban voters seem remarkably tolerant of failed government.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york-city\/\">New York City<\/a> Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/eric-adams\/\">Eric Adams<\/a> faced federal bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy charges. In response, the five boroughs stood firm and went further left with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a>. While <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minneapolis\/\">Minneapolis<\/a> Mayor <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4628640\/jacob-frey-endorses-angie-craig-minnesota-senate\/\">Jacob Frey<\/a> served amid the $250 million childcare fraud case. In Minnesota\u2019s largest city, he\u2019s not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americas-first-black-billionaire-demands-reparations-america-must-atone-by-paying-black-people\/\" title=\"America...s First Black Billionaire Demands Reparations: America \u2018Must Atone By Paying Black People...\">facing major backlash<\/a> from constituents.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (Associated Press photos; Ben Hovland\/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/07\/localimages\/WB.Campaign2.071526.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;658&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (Associated Press photos; Ben Hovland\/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In each case, no amount of corruption, fraud, or <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >crime discourages dedicated progressive voters<\/a> from holding their course \u2014\u00a0as though questioning their candidates would equate to religious heresy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thom Hartmann is one of America\u2019s most popular progressive talk show hosts and the author of the forthcoming <em>Who Killed the American Dream? The Greatest Political Crime Ever Told<\/em>. Also citing Los Angeles as a prime test subject, he acknowledges <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/california\/\">California<\/a>\u2019s cities have genuine problems, from budget woes to housing scarcity. Still, he denies blue city mayors are to blame in such cases.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet\u2019s be precise about causes,\u201d Hartmann said. \u201cFor example, the housing crisis isn\u2019t a progressive policy failure \u2014 it\u2019s rooted in decades of restrictive zoning, corporate real estate speculation. Homelessness requires federal funding for mental health services and addiction treatment. Blue cities can\u2019t solve (problems like these) alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hartmann believes voters stick with Democrats despite these problems because Republican governance in comparable cities never offers credible solutions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen Republicans control Congress, they cut funding for (necessary) services. The question becomes: what would change if voters switched parties?\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While it seems to many that progressive voters aren\u2019t accepting ineffectuality blindly, Hartmann insists they\u2019re making rational choices within constrained options.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c(Voters) are choosing the party that attempts to address these problems \u2014 imperfectly, yes \u2014 over the party that denies they exist or blames them on the suffering people themselves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Psychologist and author Scott Gibbs marks progressive loyalty (and endless conservative loyalty, when present) to defensiveness and a loss of distinction between identity and ideology.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAdmitting what failure means threatens progressive identity (\u2018who we are\u2019 and \u2018who we are not\u2019),\u201d Gibbs said. \u201cFor progressives, government is an instrument and an expression of \u2018what matters \u2014 what I call an \u2018Ethics of Care,\u2019 including equality and justice. Admitting to a policy or operational problem or failure can feel like abandoning the core ideals and, thus, \u2018who I am.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gibbs, author of the upcoming book, <em>Toward the Turning: Rethinking the Meaning of 9\/11, the Clash of Civilizations, and a Post-Modern World<\/em>, compared waiting for American progressives to consider a new path to asking a committed communist to admit that the bread lines were not \u2026 a disclosure of something problematic in the revolution itself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c(The change) creates an anxiety-provoking disorientation,\u201d Gibbs added. \u201cEven worse, given that the alternative to the status quo seems to be only conservatism, admitting failure can feel like apostasy \u2014\u00a0abandoning the secular gospel of care and crossing over to perceived cruelty, punishment, exclusion, or indifference.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gibbs sees the resulting terror and aversion of moderating views creating a prospect that is viscerally avoided rather than reasoned through to some constructive end. Failure must therefore be denied, rationalized, or redirected outward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat begins as identity protection then hardens into a relational trap, as each side, liberal and conservative, states a partial truth in a form the other experiences as a threat,\u201d he explained. \u201cConservative critics see corruption, incompetence, dependency, and failed enforcement. They say progressive governance has replaced standards and consequences with excuses, victimhood. and grievance. Progressives hear cruelty, contempt, victim-blaming, and exclusion, and then defend the care model more rigidly, explaining failure as systemic, underfunded or obstructed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To flip the script over to hard-line Republican enclaves such as Texas or states throughout the Southeast, Gibbs sees conservatives identifying disorder and ineffectuality in progressive cities that are tolerated in the name of compassion with a refusal to face reality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cConservatives respond by demanding order, discipline, and enforcement more aggressively,\u201d he added. \u201cThat forcefulness confirms progressive fears, and the absurd cycle repeats, often intensifying, increasing polarization. Drama subsumes problem-solving. The reason progressives overlook government failures is\u00a0defensiveness, while the alternative would be curiosity about conservative thinking or taking responsibility\u00a0for failure before course-correcting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back in Los Angeles, professional photographer Beau Ryan lived through multiple mayors and watched as the Palisades burned from his downtown home. He doesn\u2019t think another term of Bass makes sense, but wonders what change of course would work moving forward. He saw conservative alternative Spencer Pratt as \u201ca mini orange man\u201d (another President Donald Trump) and just a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/reality-tv\/\">reality TV<\/a> star with too little experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c(Democratic Socialists of America member Nithya) Raman may not be the establishment\u2019s choice come November, but she might be our only hope,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cIt\u2019s very \u2018Bernie vs. Hillary\u2019 at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/4563838\/palisades-fire-suspect-evidentiary-hearing\/\">PALISADES FIRE SUSPECT APPEARS AT EVIDENTIARY HEARING AHEAD OF TRIAL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan reports a consensus from his friends that quality of life in Los Angeles and California\u2019s major cities is low, with high rent, expensive gas made more expensive by the highest taxes in the Union, and unemployment. He sees that grind and LA culture\u2019s hatred of Trump as draining his community\u2019s faith in the system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll of it gives folks little to no optimism for an election,\u201d Ryan said. \u201cMost think it\u2019s all just theater at this point and have no interest in being part of the voting process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>John Scott Lewinski (@johnlewinski) is a writer based in Milwauke<\/em>e.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LA Mayor Bass faced disaster amid warnings, fire destruction<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3277,"featured_media":2628428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WB.Campaign2.071526.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[40420,38415,36154,49786,41696],"class_list":["post-2628427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-democratic-voters","tag-election-trends","tag-political-corruption","tag-urban-politics","tag-voter-behavior"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WB.Campaign2.071526.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3277"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2628427"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2628431,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2628427\/revisions\/2628431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2628428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2628427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2628427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2628427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}