Froma Harrop, syndicated columnist

Where is Barack Obama? Democrats had been frustrated that their charismatic former president had gone silent on MAGA’s march of mayhem. Where is that smooth, persuasive voice?

It has risen. Obama has spoken, and Democrats would do well to take in the message.

“You could be as progressive and socially conscious as you wanted,” Obama sternly told an audience in Connecticut, “and you did not have to pay a price. You could still make a lot of money. You could still hang out in Aspen and Milan and travel and have a house in the Hamptons and still think of yourself as a progressive.”

In other words, many rich liberals paid no personal price for backing candidates destined to lose a general election. Politics for them served as a fashion accessory.

That’s the best explanation for Obama’s absence in Democratic politics — that he’d given up. There was little point in going public after Democrats lost both houses of Congress and the presidency because their radical messages freaked out voters. Recall how, as president, the activist left pilloried him for, among other responsible actions, deporting undocumented criminals.

Democratic strategist James Carville hit the nail. “The progressives … never beat a Republican,” he recently told a Daily Beast podcast. “Tell me when one body from that wing has ever run against a Republican.”

When interviewer Joanna Coles brought up Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Carville went into orbit. “Bernie has run for president twice. He lost twice … but when I go on cable TV or podcasts like this, the entire Democratic Party is AOC and Bernie … (Nevada Sen.) Jacky Rosen doesn’t exist. OK, (Arizona Sen.) Ruben Gallego doesn’t exist. (Michigan Sen.) Elissa Slotkin doesn’t exist. I never get asked about them.”

Coles interjects that at least Bernie and AOC are doing something. “They’re clearly putting themselves out there.”

So what, Carville says. “AOC represents a plus-25 Democratic district.” Sure, she has name recognition. “Do you know how many times on Fox News AOC is mentioned in a day?”

He goes on: “Every time that you see a Democrat that is out there screaming and pounding the podium, ask yourself, have you ever beat a Republican?”

Some liberals who had grown sloppy about supporting out-there politicians seem to be getting the message. The New York Times found its footing in an editorial warning Democrats against nominating Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, for New York City mayor. He is now running second to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary polls.

The Times notes that Mamdani would “bring less relevant experience than perhaps any mayor in New York history.” A state legislator from Queens, Mamdani has never run any organization, public or private, of significant size. He thinks government should run grocery stores!

Mamdani is not much into policing — and in a city consumed with public safety. Addressing a perceived decline in quality of life is also not his thing. But he’s young and charismatic and radical. Naturally, AOC and Sanders are endorsing him.

The Times happily adopted Carville’s insistence in praising the approach of pragmatic Democrats. It names former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Houston mayors Annise Parker and Sylvester Turner. It also gave a thumbs up to first-term mayors Mike Johnston in Denver and Daniel Lurie in San Francisco.

In the last presidential election, New York City went easily for the Democrat but less easily than in the past. The party could strengthen its foundations by finding a strong progressive to replace AOC in the upcoming midterms.

Something tells us that the 44th president would quietly approve. Obama has finally spoken, and he’s speaking the truth.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Follow Froma Harrop on Twitter @FromaHarrop. She can be reached at fharrop@gmail.com. To find out more about Froma Harrop and read features by other Creators writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators webpage at www.creators.com.